His message was concise and focused. Looking directly into the camera and speaking in a calm and composed voice, former Health Minister Yuli Edelstein dropped a political bombshell on Oct. 11. Arguing that opposition head Benjamin Netanyahu cannot lead the Likud back to power, he decided to run for head of party.

With that statement, Edelstein became the first senior member of the Likud to openly challenge Netanyahu in a primary election. He is the first to do so since the party lost power in the March 2021 election.

After four election campaigns, the Likud may still be the largest party in the Knesset, but as long as it clings to its popular leader, it will remain an opposition party. In other words, Netanyahu may be able to win the party more seats than any other party, but that alone is not enough to bring the Likud back to power.

Edelstein has had gripes with Netanyahu for years. While these showed in the Oct. 11 exclusive interview with Channel 12 News, it felt like Edelstein had spent quite some time preparing for this moment. His remarks were directed at the party’s top leadership, but they also targeted its base. “As prime minister, Netanyahu marked many achievements. But the facts speak for themselves – four times [elections] and there still is no Likud-led government. Conclusions must be drawn. We need to switch gears,” Edelstein said. He added that if the Likud won’t engage in some serious soul-searching, it will remain in the opposition for years to come.