Opposition attacks Likud list: "The October 7th list"

The results of the Likud primaries turned within hours into campaign material for the opposition parties. The leaders of the bloc opposing Benjamin Netanyahu chose different points of attack — responsibility for October 7th, the Haredi influence, the loss of statehood, and the composition of the list — while identifying target audiences they hope to draw away from Likud. Gadi Eisenkot appealed directly to disappointed Likudniks, Avigdor Lieberman attacked the Haredi influence, Yair Lapid focused on the party's image, and Yair Golan presented the list as a reason for optimism in his camp.

Chairman of "Yashar", Gadi Eisenkot, provided one of the harshest responses, calling the list "the October 7th list." According to him, "no festive announcement and 'victory' parties will hide" that these are the same people who were part of the leadership that led Israel to disaster. Eisenkot mentioned the "five members of the failure cabinet" who were present on the eve of the war, and claimed that Likud members "sanctioned mass evasion during wartime." He added that the members of the list "do not know how to lead Israel to victory," "cannot unite Israel," and "are not worthy of continuing to lead the country."

"No festive announcement and 'victory' parties will hide the fact that the Likud list for the 26th Knesset is in practice the October 7th list. These are exactly the same people who divided Israeli society without shame, who blindly led Israel to the most severe disaster since the establishment of the state, among them also the five members of the failure cabinet who were there on the eve of the war..."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid chose a broader message about the party's image. He wrote that in the past he used to congratulate Likud members before the primaries, but added: "Not anymore. Who will I call? Silman? Karhi? I have no friends left there." Lapid claimed that even "the idea of normal relations between political rivals" has disappeared, and said he "misses the hypocrisy" — the period when rivals at least tried to maintain the rules of discourse. He linked the list to October 7th, corruption, the "disgraceful surrender to the Haredim," and the attempt "to trample democracy," determining: "Likud needs a rest from power" for at least four years.

Chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu Avigdor Lieberman focused on the Haredi influence. He wrote: "Today it is clearer than ever: Mahal = Haredi-lite party! A real Likudnik votes only for Lieberman." Lieberman linked this to Netanyahu's "alliance of evaders" with Aryeh Deri and Yitzhak Goldknopf, claiming that Netanyahu built the list to prevent internal opposition against him after the elections.

Targeting the same audience, Naftali Bennett and Chili Tropper focused on the serving public and Likud's relations with the Haredim. Bennett claimed that Likud is "dependent on anti-Zionist parties" and "is committed to the evaders and abandons those who serve." Tropper called for the establishment of a "Zionist government" that is not dependent on Haredi or Arab parties.

Chairman of the Democrats Yair Golan chose sarcasm, congratulating Likud on an "excellent list" that "guarantees the defeat of Likud and the victory of the democratic and liberal camp." He described it as a "list of convicted criminals, suspects waiting for the prosecution's decision, political fixers, and TikTok screamers who did nothing for the citizens of Israel."

Members of his party also attacked the participation rate. Gilad Kariv wrote that "only half of Likud members bothered to vote in the corrupt Likud primaries," and Naama Lazimi finished with a jab: "Go. We will continue from here."