Good until the primaries: The rise and fall of Idit Silman in Likud
When she dismantled the 'government of change', Idit Silman received a big embrace from Netanyahu's supporters, but four years later — and this time without receiving a reserved spot or public support from the Prime Minister — it was not enough in the Likud primaries. The minister, who will likely watch the next Knesset from home, understood immediately as the exhausting day ended: the situation is not good.
From the 'government of change', to a reserved spot in Likud, to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and to the primaries — where she suffered a major disappointment. Idit Silman took a winding path along the thorny trails of Israeli politics in recent years, but did not survive the final hurdle. The 17,850 votes she obtained in the last primaries were not enough to secure her a place in the next Knesset, and thus, at least for now, the political journey that was one of the political events that stirred the most passions and emotions ends for her.
Silman, who over the years walked a path with the Jewish Home party and entered Israeli politics through the then-chairman Naftali Bennett, became a central figure in the 'government of change'. She served as coalition chair in the Bennett-Lapid government, and was effectively the one who made things happen for that government, even when it included members of Meretz and Ra'am, Mansour Abbas's party.
The stormy Likud primaries — more headlines: Netanyahu is 'very satisfied' — these are the senior officials who were left out, the surprises of the primaries, the final results — and the emerging list. She dashed between votes, closed corners, and her role was to ensure the integrity of the coalition. However, a year into the term, Likud identified a breach in her as well, and at various points in time pressured her to leave the coalition, thereby dismantling the government. Unlike Chikli, who from the beginning broke the partnership with Bennett and received quite a bit of credit, which he realized now in the primaries, Silman was perceived by many voters as a figure who put her personal interests above ideology. Those Likud voters, it turns out, did not perceive her as very reliable. Publicly, the right embraced her, supported her when she made that move that led to the dismantling of the 'government of change', but in real time, with the opening of the ballot boxes, it did not translate into votes. With the closing of the ballot boxes, senior officials who met Silman said, she understood immediately that her situation was not good. The free voters did not exactly flock to her in droves. She was removed from the deals at the last minute, and she did not receive an embrace from the Prime Minister and party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu either. Silman may have ended this chapter while outside the next Knesset, but it is reasonable to assume that this is not the end of the story, and she will yet look for a way to return.
The top ten — and those who were pushed out
In a statement on his behalf, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he is 'very satisfied with the results and congratulates those who were elected to the list', but not all of them will get to serve in the next Knesset as well. Netanyahu's statement wrote that 'the new Likud list reflects renewal and the integration of new forces at the top of the list. Together with those who received reserved spots, who will strengthen the list even further, the Likud team will lead to a great victory and the establishment of a broad national government'.
In the top ten in the elections, without reserved spots, are Eli Cohen, Amir Ohana, Yariv Levin, Miri Regev, Miki Zohar, Yoav Kisch, Almog Cohen, Amichai Chikli, Dudi Amsalem, and also Ofir Katz. There are no senior military officials on the list, except for Miri Regev, a brigadier general in the reserves. Minister of Agriculture Avi Dichter, the former head of the Shin Bet who supported the judicial revolution despite sharp criticism against him from former Shin Bet officials, was pushed far back — to the 27th place in the national list, which will be much lower after the reserved spots. Minister of Environmental Protection Silman — who built her campaign on leaving the 'government of change' — was ranked 25th and will not be in the first four tens. Minister of Social Equality and the Advancement of the Status of Women May Golan, against whom an investigation was opened during the last term and who did not arrive for the interrogations to which she was summoned, finished slightly before him — in 23rd place in the national list, which is also considered unrealistic. Even after the representation promises for women, she will not be among the first 39. However, there is a certain possibility that Itamar Ben Gvir will include her in the Otzma Yehudit list. The two cooperated throughout the term and a good relationship exists between them. Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ze'ev Elkin, who returned to Likud together with Gideon Sa'ar, was ranked 17th in the national list and below Nir Barkat — the last one to enter a place that is currently considered realistic.
