Every party leader declares at the end of the party primaries that an exemplary list of candidates has been chosen. That's what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did on Thursday when the Likud primaries wrapped up. Just as he declared in the previous elections, and just like his rivals. In fact, the Likud list is plausible but expected. Had MK Yisrael Katz been placed before Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein instead of after, or Edelstein ahead of MK Gilad Erdan instead of behind, this would not cause the party to gain or lose a single vote in the March 17 general election. Netanyahu has reason to be pleased, because while the party list will not create fireworks and creative, "out of the box" gambits, there also will not be any setbacks in the upcoming campaign, which will be difficult and colorful. There is no one on the list at whom Netanyahu turns up his nose, with the possible exception of MK Miri Regev, who is already asking to be appointed to a cabinet position in the next government. For now, Netanyahu is answering her with silence, and after the election he will do what he likes. The effect of leaving Tzipi Hotovely and Moshe Feiglin off the list will be seen only at the voting booth. Some believe their absence will actually help bring centrist voters back to the Likud. Others are convinced that the opposite is true, that the last bulwark against young national-religious people leaving Likud for Habayit Hayehudi has been smashed. According to this reasoning, the Likud no longer has anything to offer to keep that sector from joining Habayit Hayehudi head Naftali Bennett. Both analyses could be correct, and the question is which one carries more weight. Everything that happened during the Likud primaries could be seen as "expected," but now permission has been given for Netanyahu to name whichever candidates he wants to the reserved 11th and 23rd spots on the list. The first of those two spots is certainly a realistic Knesset seat. In light of the crises facing the Shas and Yisrael Beytenu parties, the second is, too. A glance at the list shows that while the party's Right wing has been clipped, it is still enough to the Right. On the other hand, the liberal branch of the Likud -- which was prominent in upholding rule of law and protecting the Supreme Court -- has disappeared entirely. Not one of the top 10 Likud candidates will fight to protect the highest court, even though not all of them have been busy issuing harsh criticism of its conduct. The liberal wing has been badly embarrassed. The Likud list contains no Benny Begin or Dan Meridor; no Reuven Rivlin or Michael Eitan. When the time comes for Netanyahu to name the person who will take the 11th spot on the list, he should aim for someone who protects the rule of law.
