The newly elected chairman of the Likud party, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Tuesday that will he will strive for unity among party ranks, and vowed to clear out what he described as the “negative and criminal elements which have penetrated the Likud”.
Israeli online daily Haaretz reported that Netanyahu is expected to decide, in the coming days, on several administrative measures which aim mainly to remove associates of Sharon within the Likud apparatus.
The associates of Netanyahu have accused those members of assisting the Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom during his campaign in the run-up for the primaries.
Also, the associates added that they will remove associates of the far-right member Moshe Feiglin, who achieved the third place in the Likud premiers.
Israeli education Minister, Limor Livnat, said on Tuesday that she is set to thwart the attempts of Netanyahu to pull the Likud out of the government.
Netanyahu won the Likud primaries on Monday and shifted the focus of the Likud to its new direction. He might carry out his vow and remove the Likud from the cabinet which is led by Kadima party.
Meanwhile, Kadima party chair, Roni Bar-On, former Likud, stated on Tuesday that Limor Livnat, Israeli FM Silvan Shalom, Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz and Health Minister Dan Naveh, might resist a bid to force them to resign from their posts.
“I heard Livnat speaking on Monday, she doesn’t truly grant much importance to what he says or orders”, Bar-On said, “She is in no hurry to leave the government." Bar-On added and hinted that Naveh and Shalom were also not keen to leave their positions.
Livnat will ask that the Likud Central Committee to convene in order to decide on the matter, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
Also, Naveh will more likely oppose exiting the Likud from the government.
Shalom, in his concession speech in Tel Aviv on Monday at night after losing the leadership to Netanyahu, said that the people who elected him wanted to see his ideas implemented.
He added that he told Netanyahu that they should work together in order to maintain “one big Likud party” ahead of the general elections.
