Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi described the Likud primary outcome as a 'minor blow,' according to Amit Segal (N12). His comment comes after the final tally, reported earlier by The Zioneer, showed candidate Bismut defeating MK David Bitan by 16 votes.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi characterized the outcome of the Likud primaries as a 'light wing hit' — a Hebrew expression for a minor setback — in remarks reported by Amit Segal (N12) on Tuesday. The comment came after the final primary tally, published earlier in the day, showed candidate Bismut edging out MK David Bitan by a razor-thin 16 votes, as The Zioneer reported. Karhi, who ran in the primary himself, did not elaborate on his placement on the party's final list.
Throughout the morning, The Zioneer tracked the vote count as it developed. At 06:12 Jerusalem, the desk first published the preliminary Likud list with Netanyahu leading and tentative reserved slots. As counting progressed, multiple updates followed: at 93.8% of ballots counted, a gap of hundreds of votes separated candidates at the bottom of the list; at 95%, Ministers May Golan, Avi Dichter, and Idit Silman were in non-realistic slots; at 96%, a tight race emerged between two incumbent ministers; at 97%, Bitan overtook Karhi; and at 99%, Bitan and Karhi remained locked in a close race. The final tally, reported by N12, confirmed Bismut ahead by 16 votes. Early reports drew on multiple newsrooms — Channel 12, Israel Hayom, ynet — and converged on the official result.
As The Zioneer previously reported, the primaries carried broader political implications. A background assessment from August 11 described the Likud primaries as 'pure damage' to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, offering no benefit. Separately, on August 3, The Zioneer detailed how Defense Minister Israel Katz's primary campaign suffered a blow after comments about the Central Command commander backfired, causing thousands of voters to reconsider their support.
It remains unclear where Karhi placed in the final list, as he did not disclose his slot. The final list may still face adjustments regarding reserved positions, and no other leading candidates have commented on the outcome.
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