The race for the title of Israel's top citizen is heating up. Tourism Minister Uzi Landau, who enjoys the backing of Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, has begun to explore the possibility of putting his name in the running for Israel's next president. In recent days, Landau has spoken with MKs from different factions and intends to meet many others soon. He will also sit down with members of Habayit Hayehudi and the haredi factions. According to Lieberman, he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are coordinated over the presidential race and will both submit the same candidate. Landau is the third Likud-Beytenu candidate to explore his chances of winning, joining Energy Minister Silvan Shalom, who is still deliberating whether to run, and former Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, who has already declared his candidacy. Likud officials have said that if there is more than one candidate from Likud-Beytenu, Netanyahu will most likely choose to issue a general declaration of support for one of them instead of directly supporting one over the other. Prior to the second round of voting, assuming a Likud-Beytenu candidate gets that far against a candidate from another party or from outside the Knesset, Netanyahu will support his faction's candidate. It is believed that if Landau and Shalom decline to run, leaving Rivlin as the only Likud-Beytenu candidate in the race, then Netanyahu would support his candidacy despite their personal rivalry. In the Left camp as well, the number of candidates is multiplying. Former Defense Minister MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) is vying against retired Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner and Nobel Laureate Professor Dan Shechtman for votes from left-wing MKs. Former MK Dalia Itzik (Kadima) was also exploring the possibility of joining the race, along with MK Meir Sheetrit (Hatnuah). There is concern within the Likud that Yesh Atid, despite being a member of the coalition, will want to vote for one of the candidates from the Left.
Landau considers throwing hat in presidential race
Tourism Minister Uzi Landau is exploring possibility of declaring his candidacy, has backing of Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman • Lieberman: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are coordinated on the presidential race.
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