The Likud count is complete. Energy Minister Eli Cohen took the top slot, followed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Transport Minister Miri Regev. Coalition whip Ofir Katz came fifth, then Yoav Kisch, Miki Zohar, Almog Cohen, Amichai Chikli and David Amsalem. Turnout was 53.5 percent of roughly 140,000 members, 75,177 ballots, down from 58 percent in 2022.
The casualties are the more informative half. Ministers Ze'ev Elkin, May Golan, Idit Silman and Avi Dichter are unlikely to reach the next Knesset, and the MKs Hanoch Milwidsky, Keti Shitrit, Ariel Kallner, Amit Halevi, Avichai Boaron and Nissim Vaturi are in the same position. A serving minister losing a primary is a judgement by about 75,000 people on how the last term was spent.
The list is not finished, because the members did not write all of it. Netanyahu controls slots 3, 5, 9, 11, 15, 18, 26 and 29. Gideon Sa'ar, Haim Katz and Oren Dobronsky have already been placed in them, and Defence Minister Israel Katz holds one. Eight reserved positions inside the first 29 is why the primary result and the final slate are different documents.
Netanyahu said he was very satisfied and predicted a big victory on 27 October. The measurable outcome of the day is narrower than that: the members ranked the people they could rank, four ministers were told they are finished, and the man who decides the rest still has eight slots in hand.