Ahead of the Likud primaries, the interests of approximately 140,000 party members are undergoing a significant shift, according to a report by ynet based on internal polls conducted by party officials. The findings indicate that the judicial system has become the primary focus of the party's base. According to the report, roughly 80% of members see issues related to the judiciary, the Attorney General, and selective enforcement as the most urgent matter on their agenda.
As a result, many ministers and members of Knesset have adopted a firm rhetoric against the judicial system as part of their internal election campaigns. The report notes that messages once considered extreme have become part of the standard discourse among senior party officials. Among other things, Likud representatives have voiced calls for disregarding Supreme Court rulings, a move that has resonated in official campaigns. Ministers quoted in the report described the situation as a deep "cultural war," where the judicial system is perceived as representing an elite disconnected from the public. According to these sources, the anger is not merely legal but stems from deep-seated feelings and experiences regarding a lack of diversity and belonging within governing institutions over the years.
Beyond legal issues, the polls indicate the high importance of security matters, particularly the Iranian threat, which interests about 60% of members. In contrast, social and economic issues, such as the cost of living, receive significantly lower attention, with only about 40% marking them as significant for their voting decisions. This shift in priorities affects how Likud politicians frame their messaging. The report emphasizes that public officials who align with the demand for an uncompromising struggle against the judiciary receive widespread support, while issues like education, settlement policy, and regional development have been pushed to the background. The practical implication of these findings, according to the report, is the increasing difficulty for Likud leadership to position a more moderate list or one that appeals to the center, due to member pressure to adhere to confrontational and hardline messaging. It appears that for Likud members, the ability to demonstrate a firm stance against the judiciary has become the primary metric for political success within the party.