Likud MK Tally Gotliv said Monday that she would seriously consider leaving the party if she received an attractive offer from another political faction, accusing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s circle of working to weaken her and sideline her within the Likud.
Gotliv said she has not received an offer from another party at this point, but made clear that she would be prepared to consider one under the right circumstances.
“Unfortunately, the prime minister, as is his right, excluded me from the Likud campaign, and the campaign staff decided not to address our obligation to restrain the power of the High Court. The campaign staff continues to brief against me and portray me as a weakening force within Likud,” Gotliv wrote. “I was elected to advance right-wing governance and to put an end to the reckless conduct of the High Court, which assumed authority it does not possess and, in its own eyes, transformed itself into a superior branch of government.”
Gotliv also accused Netanyahu of effectively blocking her path to senior positions where she believes she could advance her judicial agenda.
“The prime minister made up his mind not to allow me to be justice minister or even chairwoman of the Constitution Committee, and decided to push me to a hidden corner in the back,” she added.
Gotliv said her loyalty to Netanyahu and the right-wing government has come at considerable political cost, arguing that she deserves a position reflecting what she views as her electoral strength.
“I threw myself on the fence for the prime minister and the right-wing government,” she wrote. “If I were to receive a realistic offer from a party that would respect my electoral strength and my clear ability to serve as a minister in a highly important position, on behalf of my voters I would seriously consider it. I will not agree to be a doormat.”
Her remarks follow her disappointment with finishing 12th in the recent Likud primaries, an outcome she attributed in large part to efforts by people surrounding Netanyahu to prevent her from finishing higher on the party list.
After most of the primary votes had been counted, Gotliv publicly accused Netanyahu’s associates and organized voting blocs within Likud of attempting to undermine her candidacy.
“Even if the prime minister’s circle really worked hard to thwart and weaken me, even if all the organized votes in deals were instructed not to mark me, even if I am the only one for whom no message was sent from the prime minister urging support, the right-wing Likud voters fought for me with tremendous strength,” she wrote.
Political reporter Amit Segal subsequently reported that Gotliv had delivered an ultimatum to Netanyahu, warning that she could consider leaving Likud unless she was guaranteed the No. 12 position on the party’s electoral slate.
Likud officials responded that the ultimatum had been rejected outright.
{Matzav.com}
