MK Eliyahu Ravivo (Likud) announced Thursday he will not run in the party's primary, saying the electoral system and reserved slots make it nearly impossible to secure a realistic spot. His decision follows reports from N12 that Prime Minister Netanyahu's associates offered him the ambassadorship to the UAE.
Likud MK Eliyahu Ravivo announced Thursday morning that he will not run in the party's primary, citing the electoral system and the prevalence of reserved slots as making it "very difficult to get a realistic position." The withdrawal follows reports, first published by N12 on Monday (Aug 10, 22:12 Jerusalem) and tracked by The Zioneer, that associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered Ravivo the ambassadorship to the United Arab Emirates in exchange for stepping aside from the race. Ravivo's announcement confirms the earlier speculation and marks the culmination of a rapid political development that played out over three days.
The thread began Monday evening with an unsourced N12 report that a deal had been offered to an unnamed Likud MK to avoid the primary. By 22:12 Jerusalem that same evening, N12 identified the MK as "Alon Raviv"—a likely error quickly corrected to Eliyahu Ravivo—and reported that the offer had been refused, though sources close to Netanyahu denied it. The Zioneer's subsequent coverage (versions 3–7) confirmed Ravivo's absence from the official ballot and, by Thursday morning, his own statement attributing the decision to party mechanics. The story evolved from a single outlet's claim to multiple confirmations, though no on-record confirmation from Ravivo or the Prime Minister's Office has been published.
As The Zioneer reported in its topic profile, Ravivo is a prominent Likud figure whose departure from the primary ballot signals internal reorganization ahead of the expected election. Another Likud MK, Mishael Biskila, was also absent from the ballot, with speculation he may receive a reserved slot. The UAE ambassadorship offer, if realized, would continue a pattern of appointing political allies to diplomatic posts following the Abraham Accords.
What remains open: the offer has not been officially confirmed by Ravivo or the Prime Minister's Office. N12's Monday report said Ravivo did not accept the offer, and sources close to Netanyahu denied it. Ravivo's statement Thursday did not mention the ambassadorship, leaving the deal's status unclear.
8 developments
- StrongAnother Likud MK says he will not run in primaries, accuses party of shirking responsibility
- StrongAyelet Shaked says she will not run in elections, plans to register for Likud
- StrongMK Yoav Segalovitz resigns from Knesset, confirming earlier reports
- DevelopingNetanyahu threatens to quit Likud unless granted 10 reserved Knesset slots
Source and signal
- Open-source intake