New Likud List Features Figures with History of Criticizing Netanyahu
The new Likud candidate list includes controversial figures like Eli Goldschmidt and Yaakov Bardugo, who have previously launched sharp attacks on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and security chiefs.
The newly unveiled Likud party candidate list for the upcoming Knesset elections includes a series of political figures, media personalities, and right-wing figures who have secured reserved spots in realistic or prominent positions. However, several of these candidates have previously made sharp public statements, occasionally directing heavy criticism even at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself.
Controversial Figures and Sharp Criticism
Eli Goldschmidt, who was reserved the 26th spot on the list, previously launched a blistering attack on Netanyahu, holding him responsible for the strengthening of Hamas and the severe security failure of October 7. In a video distributed on social media, Goldschmidt claimed that Netanyahu's speech at the US Congress lacked any acknowledgment of his own responsibility for bolstering Hamas.
«Your speech in Congress was polished. There is no debate about that. But what was absent was far more important. You spoke about how on October 7, 3,000 Hamas terrorists entered kibbutzim and a party. What, did they enter on their own?» Goldschmidt said in the video. «Someone allowed them in. Someone practically rolled out a red carpet for them. I know someone who funded them, who gave them tons of money for a very long time, who built them up. That is you, Bibi Netanyahu.»
In another video, Goldschmidt attacked Netanyahu over the hostage issue, stating that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had defeated him in a war of wits. Meanwhile, Yaakov Bardugo, placed 11th on the list, has also made inflammatory remarks. In April 2025, amid confrontations surrounding then-Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, Bardugo stated on air: «Ronen Bar, if you annoy us, we will add a few other things as well. Do not use the Shin Bet to lie. We are not afraid.»
Clashes with the Security Establishment and Likud Ministers
In November 2024, addressing the classified documents leak affair that rocked the Prime Minister's Office, Bardugo claimed on Channel 14 that there was an attempt to use the investigative power of the Shin Bet and the military to overthrow the right-wing government in Israel. In July 2026, Bardugo acknowledged on Galei Yisrael that he had met with Shin Bet chief David Zini and asked him to launch an investigation against the competing Channel 12 for allegedly leaking information about the initiation of Operation "Lion's Roar".
Bardugo's past commentary has also drawn rare rebukes from the military. In June 2024, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit published an unusual statement refuting Bardugo's claim that then-Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi supported leaving Hamas rule intact in the Gaza Strip after the war, calling the assertion a severe and baseless lie.
Bardugo's inclusion has also sparked pushback from senior Likud ministers. In May 2025, Justice Minister Yariv Levin accused Bardugo of attempting to extort him with threats. Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi also leveled severe criticism against Bardugo, describing him as a coercive political operative trying to manage the state according to personal interests.
Additional Controversial Candidates
Other notable figures on the list include attorney Dror Peter, placed 16th, a Kohelet Policy Forum researcher who represented the government in High Court petitions and recently claimed on Channel 14 that «all hostages returned alive» during the war. Amir Avivi, chairman of the Habithonim movement who was reserved the 35th spot but ultimately declined it, previously sparked controversy for remarks made days before the October 7 massacre, when he suggested that Hamas was merely staging border riots to protest frozen Qatari funds and did not want a confrontation. Additionally, Rabbi Elisha Madan, placed 15th, previously sparked controversy by urging his students not to enlist in the Armored Corps after the military integrated female cadets into the corps' officer training course alongside male cadets rather than in separate units.
