Surprise in the Likud: A veteran figure returns to the primary race

First publication: Former Minister of Communications Ayoub Kara decided on Monday to run in the Likud party primaries, after having frozen his political activity in recent years, as first learned by C14.

The significance of Kara's decision is that if he succeeds in being elected to the Likud's national list, the reserved spot for a non-Jewish candidate on the party list may be cancelled. Until now, the leading candidate to be placed in this slot was Knesset member Mofid Mari.

In recent years, Kara has focused mainly on the field of Israel's international relations with the Abraham Accords countries. In addition, since the fall of the regime in Syria, he has worked extensively among the Druze community in Syria and in strengthening the ties between the Druze in that country and Israel.

Recently, many figures in the Likud approached Kara and asked him to submit his candidacy due to recent regional developments, the intention to expand the Abraham Accords to additional countries, and the need for a senior representative in the movement, and perhaps in the government, from the Arabic-speaking non-Jewish sector.

Ayoub Kara previously held senior positions in the government. In 2017, he was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, and later, in May of that year, he was appointed Minister of Communications in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. During his tenure at the Ministry of Communications, he dealt, among other things, with the regulation of the communications market, and as part of his role, he also worked to grant a broadcasting license to Channel 14 in 2020.