Likud party lawmakers plotted to replace PM Netanyahu after Oct 7 terror attack

Following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Economy Minister Nir Barkat and then-Likud party lawmaker Yuli Edelstein were involved in efforts to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without holding new elections, Channel 12 reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, the lawmakers explored a constructive "vote of no confidence" – a parliamentary procedure that could have allowed the Knesset to replace the prime minister without dissolving the Knesset and holding new elections.

Edelstein reportedly sought support among Likud lawmakers for a temporary unity government – with himself serving as interim prime minister. Under the proposal, a Likud leadership primary would subsequently be held, with Edelstein not running for the permanent leadership.

The proposal failed to gain sufficient support, however, amid concerns among Likud lawmakers that a party leadership primary might not take place under the wartime conditions following the Oct. 7 attack.

The report said that some Likud lawmakers were willing to support efforts to replace Netanyahu with Barkat or former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, while others supported different candidates.

Netanyahu eventually learned of the effort, according to the report, and moved to prevent it from gaining the support needed to succeed. The initiative ultimately failed to secure the backing of 13 Likud lawmakers as required for a constructive vote of no confidence.

The Channel 12 report comes after Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz said in a Ynet News interview last month that some members of the party had discussed replacing Netanyahu following the Oct. 7 attack.

“When something like October 7 happens, a country that wants to survive cannot simply carry on as usual. That also has to be reflected in the leadership, which needs to change. After October 7, that was obvious to a great many Likud members. Some of my colleagues, who today are very busy showing how close they are to Netanyahu, were back then focused on how we could replace him,” Illouz said at the time.

Netanyahu recently secured the ability to select 10 candidates among the top 29 positions on the Likud slate for the coming elections. Some observers believe the move is part of an effort to strengthen Netanyahu's control over the party ahead of the vote.

The prime minister announced this week that one of the slots will go to entrepreneur Oren Dobronsky, known from the Israeli version of “Shark Tank". Likud sources told Channel 12 that he was even promised a ministerial position in the next government.

The nomination of Dobronsky could be a way to "punish" Barkat, who is also a former entrepreneur, by adding a new figure on the same business-friendly ticket, Channel 12's Amit Segal commented.

The Prime Minister's Office has denied that his recent moves are related to internal Likud politics.

Barkat's office has similarly defended the appointments, saying they are beneficial to the party and the country under Netanyahu's continued leadership.

Israel is scheduled to hold elections on Oct. 27.