Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is doing what he can to hold party primaries as soon as possible as he tries to block former Interior Minister Gideon Saar from returning. Back in September 2014, Saar announced unexpectedly that he is stepping down to take a break from political life. Many viewed him as a viable contender to oust Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu from the party’s leadership slot and were disappointed at this decision to step down. At the time, Saar was unaware the coalition would fall in the coming weeks.

Now that he is contemplating his return before elections, Netanyahu is trying to push ahead with primaries before Saar’s return to make such a move more difficult. The tentative date for primaries in Likud is January 7, 2015. Saar is yet to announce if he will challenge Netanyahu for the party’s leadership slot.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)