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Danon to Netanyahu: Get ready for Likud party primaries

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“I would ask you to instruct the Likud administration to prepare in advance for elections for the Likud leadership and the Likud list,” said Danny Danon.

By Josh Plank, World Israel News

Danny Danon, newly elected chairman of the World Likud, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prepare for Likud party primaries in a letter dated November 11.

“I ask you to act in accordance with your authority and instruct the director of the Likud movement to prepare for the holding of primary elections for the Likud leadership and for the Knesset list, as stated in the Likud bylaws,” Danon said.

“Over the last two years, three election campaigns have taken place. During two of these, it was decided to cancel elections for the Knesset list.

“Due to the fact that the Likud movement is a glorious democratic movement, I would ask you to instruct the Likud administration to prepare in advance for elections for the Likud leadership and the Likud list,” he said.

According to the Likud bylaws, for every national election, primaries must be held for the party’s leadership and list of Knesset candidates.

However, such primaries have not taken place since February 2019, ahead of the April 2019 election. It was decided to cancel the primaries for both the September 2019 and March 2020 elections.

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The Likud did hold a leadership election in December 2019, which resulted in Netanyahu holding the party leadership over challenger Gideon Sa’ar.

With a new round of national elections possibly around the corner, the Likud is again discussing the option of canceling primaries and retaining the current candidate list.

Such a move would leave out Danon, who recently ended a five-year term as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Danon unsuccessfully challenged Netanyahu for leadership in the 2014 Likud primaries.

Prior to serving as ambassador, Danon served as chairman of the World Likud for nearly ten years, a post to which he was again elected on Sunday in a contest denounced as illegitimate by party rival Miki Zohar, who is trying to expel Danon from the party.

If a 2021 budget is not passed by December, the Knesset will automatically dissolve and new national elections will be held, most likely in March 2021.

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