"Gottlieb is costing Likud four mandates, political coarsening"

Likud primary candidate Smadar Hila Shmueli, who failed to win the "new woman" slot, launches a sharp attack against MK Tali Gottlieb – and warns that the style associated with her could, according to her, cause electoral damage to Likud and the right-wing bloc.

The attack comes a few days after the stormy Likud primaries, at the end of which Gottlieb was ranked 12th in the national vote and joined the list as the second woman, after Miri Regev. This is after a struggle took place during the campaign over her status: Benjamin Netanyahu sent messages to promote Regev and Idit Silman, based on the assessment that Gottlieb would reach a high place anyway. Even earlier, it was revealed on C14 that there was a move intended to push her out of the top ten through the structure of reserved spots.

The tension surrounding Gottlieb did not begin on election day. Already in June, MK Eliyahu Revivo launched a campaign against her under the claim of "cheap populism," and argued that her style alienates the "moderate public." On the other hand, Gottlieb proved a significant support base throughout the campaign: on the C14 primaries portal, she even led the ranking for a period by a large margin over a series of ministers and Knesset members.

"The public's backlash to Gottliebism"

Now Shmueli joins the critics and coins the term "Gottliebism," which she defined as a "viral political coarsening method" that she claims does not bring achievements to the right and even causes it damage at the ballot box.

"Gottlieb is the queen of criticism," wrote Shmueli, and claimed that she is now absorbing a "backfire" – a counter-reaction from part of the public. According to her, the style associated with Gottlieb "transfers four mandates to the center parties," although she did not present survey data in the post supporting this estimate. Shmueli clarified that this is not a one-time post: "I have only just begun with Gottlieb, and the public criticism towards Tali will continue on my page in additional posts." According to her, "criticism and right-wing soul-searching is a two-way street."

Later, she also addressed the criticism she received for choosing an unflattering photo of Gottlieb for the post, and wrote: "Is there a press photo where Gottlieb is not heavily made up and in a state of screaming?". She added that in the eyes of parts of the "soft right" and "old school" – "she is scary."

"Danger to right-wing rule"

Shmueli concluded with a sharp political warning and claimed once again that Gottlieb "is costing Likud four mandates." According to her, a loss of this magnitude could prevent the right-wing bloc from reaching 61 mandates without a center party that would become a "veto player."

Shmueli's claim comes precisely after Gottlieb managed to survive a primary system saturated with internal struggles and secure a realistic place on the list. Now, as the polls in Likud have already closed, it seems that the battle over the character of the party and the style that is supposed to lead it in the general elections – is only beginning.