Former Likud MK Dan Illouz has claimed that roughly one-third of the party’s Knesset faction supported replacing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the weeks following the October 7 Hamas massacre, but the effort ultimately collapsed because no agreement could be reached on who would succeed him.

Speaking on the Hebrew-language political podcast 120 VeAhat (“121”), Illouz said the discussions took place several weeks after the massacre, once the immediate shock had subsided. Asked whether there had been an organized effort within Likud to replace Netanyahu, he replied, “Absolutely.” Illouz said at least one-third of the faction believed Israel’s leadership needed to change, but the initiative failed because those involved could not agree on a replacement.

Illouz, who recently announced he is leaving Likud after opposing legislation aimed at strengthening protections for Torah students and limiting enforcement against Chareidi draft evaders, said the issue became his breaking point with the party. He argued that the coalition has abandoned Likud’s traditional principles and accused its leadership of putting political survival ahead of policy. Referring to coalition chairman Ofir Katz, Illouz said, “The coalition whip boasts that we’re completing a full term in office, as if survival is everything.” He added that if preserving the coalition becomes the overriding objective, “then I think this bloc has become an idol.”

While saying Netanyahu bears responsibility for the failures surrounding October 7, Illouz rejected attempts to place all the blame solely on the prime minister. He called for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to examine the actions of the political leadership, the military, and other institutions, saying responsibility must be determined through a comprehensive investigation.

Illouz also said many of the lawmakers who had once discussed replacing Netanyahu later returned to supporting him. Asked whether Netanyahu could still be replaced if lawmakers agreed on a successor, he responded, “Probably, yes,” while acknowledging that most of those MKs have since rallied behind the prime minister. He added that he has not yet decided whether to join another political party ahead of Israel’s October 27 election.

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