Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering holding the Likud’s next primary election digitally, citing security concerns and the potential for broader participation, according to a report by Kan News.

The report says Netanyahu was impressed by the Democratic Party’s recent digital primary, which reportedly achieved high voter turnout through a secure online voting system.

According to the report, the primary motivation for exploring digital voting is the possibility of a security escalation that could make traditional in-person voting difficult. However, Netanyahu’s associates also see additional advantages, including saving the party millions of shekels and reducing the influence of organized pressure groups that are active at physical polling stations.

The leading advocate for the proposal is reportedly acting Likud Director-General David Sharan, who publicly discussed the idea in a radio interview. While Netanyahu has so far presented the concept only as a contingency plan for a major security emergency, those close to him believe it could eventually become a realistic option even under normal circumstances.

Earlier this week, however, the Likud’s internal court rejected efforts to create a mechanism that would allow the party to cancel the primaries in the event of an emergency.

In its ruling, the court stressed that the primaries should proceed as scheduled, stating: “Likud is not the party of one man, and it would lose its vitality if it became one. There is no place to create even a small opening for canceling the primaries in advance.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)