Likud increases pressure: "There are interest groups within Likud as well"
MK Ariel Kallner admits that the large number of reserved spots in Likud reduces his chances of advancing in the list, but rules out the possibility of a split in the party. In an interview with 103FM, he spoke about the race among party members and set a goal of 25,000 votes in the primaries.
The increasing number of reserved spots in Likud is reducing the chances for candidates in the primaries. One of them is MK Ariel Kallner, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. In a candid conversation with Prof. Aryeh Eldad and Ron Kofman on 103FM radio, he spoke about the challenging reality for a candidate in Likud, while firmly insisting that the party is more important than his individual ambitions.
He began with slight irony: "You have to admit that Likud gives you work in the media; there is no doubt that it provides you with a lot of news even in the 'off-season'."
Despite internal unrest, Kallner does not believe that the recent reserved spots will crack the unity of Likud:
"I don't think a split in Likud is realistic, I don't think it can happen, I don't think it's on the agenda."
And yet, it is not quiet in the party. "I have been traveling since the morning; for two weeks I have been all over the country asking for the trust of Likud members. I don't know my colleagues in other parties who are pounding the pavement among 150,000 members of their movement to gain trust," he said.
"It is clear that for me as a candidate, every reserved spot prevents me from moving forward. It doesn't take a genius to understand that," admitted MK Kallner. However, he accepts the rules of the game: "I understand that in the end, the purpose of the reserved spots is to bring in new people; there are all kinds of political aspects here. Our main goal is to win the elections."
Beyond the reserved spots, he noted that political life is complex: "There are always organized groups and interest groups; it is part of political life, not only in Likud, but also within Likud. There is nothing to do, that's life."
"What determines and what has decided in the past is the dominant free vote among 150,000 people," he stated. According to his estimate, this accounts for 60 to 70 percent of all registered party members: "These are the votes of free people who no one tells what to do, and they are the ones who will shape the list."
"I set a goal for myself and my team: to reach 25,000 votes," announced the Likud MK. "It's a very big challenge. I am pounding the pavement, presenting what I have done and presenting my vision for the future, with God's help."
He concluded by emphasizing his commitment to the party:
"In the end, it's not me who is the point. In public service, the State of Israel is above all, and the second thing is my movement, my party, the Likud movement. The third thing is me. Of course, I have my personal ambitions, I am a human being like everyone else, flesh and blood, who wants to succeed, but that is the order, that is the hierarchy."
