With 99% of the Likud primary ballots tallied, MK David Bitan and Minister Shlomo Karhi are locked in a close and intense race, The Zioneer reports.
As of 10:13 Jerusalem Tuesday morning, 99% of Likud primary votes have been tallied, with MK David Bitan and Minister Shlomo Karhi locked in a close and intense race. This follows earlier counting at 06:12 Jerusalem, when The Zioneer reported Bitan had overtaken Karhi with 97% of ballots counted, according to N12 journalist Dafna Liel. The final slate will be determined once all votes are counted.
The Zioneer has tracked the Likud primary count since early Tuesday. At 06:12 Jerusalem, the desk published the preliminary list showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leading, followed by a series of updates as counting progressed: 90% (list published), 91.2%, 93.8% (tight race at bottom slots), 95% (Ministers Golan, Dichter, and Silman in non-realistic positions), and 96% (tight race between two incumbents). Each update was reported in real time, with sources expanding from an obtained list to reports by Channel 12, N12, ynet, and Israel Hayom.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, the Likud primary has highlighted internal rivalries. Bitan and Karhi have a history of political friction over the Communications Law. Earlier in the count, ministers May Golan, Avi Dichter, and Idit Silman fell to non-realistic slots, while Bitan and Karhi remained in contention for the final realistic positions.
The remaining 1% of uncounted ballots could still shift the margin between Bitan and Karhi. The official final list will be published by the Likud central committee once all votes are verified.
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