Fearing revenge? Nir Barkat hired investigators to monitor primaries | First publication

Against the backdrop of fears of fraud in the Likud primaries, and after his associates became convinced that a "contract was put out on him" within the party, Minister of Economy Nir Barkat does not intend to take any risks.

Barkat, who was accused of an attempted putsch against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after October 7 and was "marked" as someone whom Netanyahu and his associates do not want, is preparing for the battle for his place in the Likud leadership and has hired a private investigation and intelligence firm to monitor the voting process and the counting of votes.

Sources familiar with the details claim that Barkat fears that the attempt at his political elimination is not over, and that certain elements within the party might try to harm the number of votes he receives or influence the election results. Against the backdrop of this fear, the minister decided to establish his own monitoring system, which will operate in parallel with the official mechanisms of the Likud.

As part of the move, field personnel were stationed at a large number of polling stations across the country, with a special emphasis on the counting center, where voting data is concentrated. According to sources, some of the system's personnel are equipped with recording devices, with the aim of collecting evidence in real time in case a suspicion of fraud, bias, or irregularities in the vote count arises.

"Whoever thinks that it is possible to play with the votes, the count, or the results needs to know that this time there is someone watching, recording, and checking," said a source familiar with the matter. "If misconduct is discovered, the goal will be not only to correct the result but also to ensure that those responsible for it are held accountable."