"Her crazy flattery didn't help": Silman fell – and Netanyahu won big

The results of the Likud primaries have provided a series of surprises, and commentators are already trying to understand who strengthened, who weakened, and to what extent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to influence the character of the list. Attorney Guy Bossi, an expert in constitutional and administrative law, and strategic consultant Ronen Tzur analyzed the results in a conversation with Anat Davidov and Gideon Oko on 103fm.

Tali Gotliv? "They went for her head"

"There is no doubt that the list is completely different from what I had in mind," admitted Bossi. "There are many surprises here. People thought that Yariv Levin, because the reform failed, would be punished by Likud voters – but that is not the case. Almog Cohen is at the top, and there is no doubt that the fact that Ms. Tali Gotliv is in the place she is in indicates that the elimination attempts were successful and they went for her head."

According to him, Gotliv's position also surprised him personally. "There is no dispute that Mr. Netanyahu did not want Ms. Gotliv as the first woman. I thought she would be in the top five and I failed colossally," he added.

Tzur began with a humorous reference to one of the results: "I am still licking my wounds with Vaturi's position, but I will get over it during the day." After that, he moved on to a broader analysis of the list and determined that the results reflect a significant achievement for Netanyahu.

"There is an absolute victory here for Netanyahu in the primaries. Two of his eliminations succeeded fully: Gotliv, who is being pushed aside, and Nir Barkat, who is in a fight for a realistic spot," he said.

"Nir Barkat's dream of becoming prime minister has faded"

Barkat was at the center of a significant part of the analysis. Tzur argued that his result indicates a severe political blow: "He is a person who invested millions to conquer the list and was eliminated by Netanyahu's team. David Bitan is probably an elimination that did not succeed."

According to Tzur, Netanyahu's power was also reflected in the results in the districts. "In the districts, Netanyahu managed to get people in that he took pictures with. If this is the list, he will be able to live with it well, both on a personal level and ahead of the elections. He proved his power very much."

Bossi joined this assessment and argued that the overall result largely reflects the Prime Minister's desire. "The list is in the image and likeness of Mr. Netanyahu, except for David Bitan's group. Nir Barkat's dream of becoming prime minister has faded. The elimination operation succeeded."

Bossi also referred to the emerging result of Avi Dichter and expressed regret over the possibility that he would be pushed to an unrealistic spot. "A former Shin Bet head, who was a member of the cabinet, could have been Minister of Defense and refused, and received a heavy blow from the voters."

May Golan is also, according to the picture of the results that the two discussed, in danger of being pushed to an unrealistic spot. Tzur explained this sharply: "Likud voters chose not to vote for her because they identify her as a liability."

On Silman: "Her crazy flattery didn't help"

Tzur also lingered on the emerging result of Idit Silman and argued that the public loyalty she demonstrated towards Netanyahu did not help her at the ballot box. "She did everything possible to demonstrate her absolute loyalty to Netanyahu," he said.

Referring to the video that Silman published on social media, he added with a smile: "Maybe she was preparing herself for the Olympic team. In any case, her crazy flattery didn't help."

Bossi also believed that the support for Netanyahu did not give Silman a significant advantage, and said: "She received a cold shoulder from Netanyahu. He promotes fewer 'yes-men' than others."