Party Profile: Likud

Who they are

Likud is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party. It is national-conservative, security-first and pro-market. It has led most Israeli governments since 1977, and Netanyahu has led it since 2005, with a gap from 1999 to 2005. Its base is traditional and Mizrahi voters, the periphery, and much of the settler and national-religious right.

Netanyahu is on trial for fraud, bribery and breach of trust (Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000). He has asked for a pardon. Likud absorbed Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party in 2025, though the House Committee had not approved the merger as of July.

The campaign frames the vote as a strong right-wing government led by Netanyahu against Eisenkot and a bloc that would need Arab support.

The list: who is likely to get in

Likud filed a 35-name slate on 8 September. Netanyahu personally appointed nine of the names. At 21 seats, slots 1 to 21 win. Slots 22 to 25 are marginal. If Channel 14's numbers (27 to 32) are right, the cutoff moves to the high 20s.

Top 30, as reported by the Times of Israel: 1 Netanyahu, 2 Eli Cohen, 3 Amir Ohana, 4 Yariv Levin, 5 Miri Regev, 6 Israel Katz, 7 Gideon Sa'ar, 8 Ofir Katz, 9 Talik Gvili, 10 Yoav Kisch, 11 Jacob Bardugo, 12 Miki Zohar, 13 Almog Cohen, 14 Amichai Chikli, 15 Elisha Madan, 16 David Peter, 17 Moshe Saada, 18 Haim Katz, 19 David Amsalem, 20 Eti Atia, 21 Boaz Bismuth, 22 David Bitan, 23 Shlomo Karhi, 24 Nir Barkat, 25 Gila Gamliel, 26 Eli Goldschmidt, 27 Erez Tadmor, 28 Shlomo Lerner, 29 Itzik Bonzel, 30 Moshe Peretz. Earlier reports of the order for slots 3 to 8 conflicted. This one matches the filed slate. Check the Central Elections Committee document for slots 31 to 35.

Bios of the likely MKs

Benjamin Netanyahu (1), 76. Prime minister since December 2022. He also served 1996 to 1999 and 2009 to 2021. His trial has run since 2020.

Eli Cohen (2), 54. Energy and Infrastructure Minister. Former air force major and CPA. Entered the Knesset in 2015 with Kulanu, then joined Likud. Was Economy Minister, Intelligence Minister and Foreign Minister. He topped the primary.

Amir Ohana (3), 50. Knesset Speaker since December 2022 and the first openly gay Speaker. Former Shin Bet officer and criminal lawyer. Was Justice Minister in 2019 and 2020. His 2025 vote for a civil marriage bill angered the Haredim.

Yariv Levin (4), 57. Justice Minister and Deputy PM. He designed the 2023 judicial overhaul and has boycotted Supreme Court President Isaac Amit.

Miri Regev (5), 61. Transportation Minister. Former IDF spokesperson and brigadier general. In 2012 she called African migrants a "cancer."

Israel Katz (6), 70. Defense Minister since November 2024. In the Knesset since 1998. Turkey issued an in-absentia indictment against him in November 2025.

Gideon Sa'ar (7), 59. Foreign Minister. He left Likud in 2020 to found New Hope and merged back in 2025. Opposes a Palestinian state.

Ofir Katz (8), 46. Coalition whip and House Committee chair. A longtime Netanyahu aide and MK since 2019.

Talik Gvili (9). Netanyahu's reserved pick and not a career politician. Her son Ran Gvili was the last captive held in Gaza. His body was returned.

Yoav Kisch (10), 57. Education Minister and former F-16 pilot.

Jacob Bardugo (11), 61. Lawyer and Channel 14 commentator, a Netanyahu loyalist. Reportedly eyeing a justice or communications portfolio.

Miki Zohar (12), 48. Culture and Sport Minister. Cut funding for the Ophir Awards after a film about a Palestinian boy won.

Almog Cohen (13), 38. Born in Be'er Sheva. Former police officer and restaurant owner. Was an Otzma Yehudit MK from 2022 and moved to Likud in 2026.

Amichai Chikli (14), 44. Diaspora Affairs Minister. Elected on Yamina in 2021, then voted against the Bennett-Lapid government. Invited Tommy Robinson to Israel in 2025.

Elisha Madan (15). Reservist who lost both legs in Gaza in November 2023. A founder of the Avigayil outpost in the South Hebron Hills. He lit a torch at the 77th Independence Day ceremony.

David Peter (16). Attorney and Kohelet Forum researcher who has represented the government before the High Court. Born in Hungary, raised in Haifa. Age not confirmed.

Moshe Saada (17), 54. Former deputy head of the Justice Ministry's police-investigations department. MK since 2022. Voted against an October 7 commission of inquiry.

Haim Katz (18), 78. Chair of the Likud Central Committee. MK since 1999. Former Labor, Tourism and Health minister and an Israel Aerospace Industries union leader.

David (Dudi) Amsalem (19), 66. MK since 2015 and coalition whip from 2017. Regional Cooperation Minister. Born in Jerusalem to Moroccan parents.

Eti Atia (20), 66. MK since 2019. Lawyer, former Labor Ministry chief of staff and Israel Aerospace Industries union figure.

Boaz Bismuth (21), 61. Former Yedioth Ahronoth Paris correspondent, ambassador to Mauritania and Israel Hayom editor. Chairs the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee since August 2025.

Marginal slots and people of note

• David Bitan (22), 66. Former coalition chair, on trial for bribery and fraud, which he denies.
• Shlomo Karhi (23), 44. Communications Minister. Born in Ramat Gan, a PhD and one of 17 siblings.
• Nir Barkat (24). Economy Minister and former Jerusalem mayor. He fell sharply in the primary.
• Gila Gamliel (25). Former minister.

Who is gone. Tally Gotliv left for Otzma Yehudit, where she is No. 2. Ofer Winter declined a reserved slot and founded his own party. Oren Dobronsky declined his slot. May Golan, Hanoch Milwidsky and Avi Dichter were pushed out of realistic slots in the primary. Amir Avivi gave up a reserved slot to Avichay Boaron.

Platform and coalition plans

• Gaza: A demilitarized Gaza run by a non-Hamas civilian authority, with Israel keeping security control.
• Palestinian state: Opposed.
• Judiciary: Backs limiting the Supreme Court's power to strike down legislation.
• Haredi draft: Has resisted drafting yeshiva students. Netanyahu said in May 2026 that the coalition lacked a majority to pass an exemption law.
• Economy: Pro-market. Critics say it has not delivered on cost of living.
• Iran: Hardline. No specific plank was found.

Coalition plans. Netanyahu says he wants a broad national government that includes the Haredim and the far right. Likud signed a surplus-vote agreement with Religious Zionism. Ben-Gvir refused Netanyahu's push for a joint run of the right-wing parties.

What to watch. Likud's number swings by pollster. Winter's party draws from the same right-wing voters. If Religious Zionism or Winter fall under the threshold, Likud picks up some of their votes, but the bloc loses seats overall.

Sources

• Times of Israel: Likud submits 35-person slate
• JNS: Likud files slate
• JPost: Likud primary results
• Times of Israel: Netanyahu's new slate
• JC: Likud and Netanyahu's reserved picks
• JC: what is Likud
• Times of Israel: Likud and Religious Zionism surplus-vote deal
• Wikipedia pages for Ohana, Levin, Regev, Katz, Sa'ar, Eli Cohen, Bismuth, Amsalem, Bitan, Karhi