Netanyahu faces test of influence as Likud holds primary

<p> DUBAI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a key test of his influence over his Likud party on Monday, as members vote in a primary to select most of the party’s candidates for the October 27 Knesset election.<br /> The vote could help determine the political direction of Likud, with several incumbent lawmakers at risk of losing their seats and the party expected to have a smaller parliamentary presence than its current 32 seats.<br /> Netanyahu has spent months seeking greater control over the party’s electoral slate. According to local media reports, the current Israeli prime minister has attempted to replace the primary with a committee that would select candidates. Those efforts failed, but he secured the right to personally appoint eight candidates to the list, giving him significant influence over its composition.<br /> Haaretz reported that Netanyahu has also sought to reduce the influence of some of Likud’s more hardline lawmakers while promoting candidates he considers more electorally viable.<br /> The primary will therefore offer an indication of how much influence Netanyahu retains over Likud and whether the party’s membership is moving in the direction he favors, Haarez added.<br /> Around 140,000 Likud members are eligible to vote in the primary.</p>