With corruption scandals dominating headlines, contenders are waiting in the Likud’s wings, but the party believes Netanyahu when he says it’s all “fake news.”

If you want to see a senior Likud MK’s face go white, ask him what he’s doing to prepare for the day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure ends.

“Don’t get me in trouble” is the answer you’ll most likely get. Then, inevitably, you’ll hear some variation of the Likud talking-points about the scandals involving Netanyahu and some of his closest allies – attorney and cousin David Shimron, Bezeq majority shareholder Shaul Elovich, and Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber. The usual ones include “there won’t be anything, because there isn’t anything,” Netanyahu is not a suspect in either the submarine or Bezeq scandals, and the media are trying to bring the Likud down.

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that the Likud would be busy with internal politics and a race to the party’s top slot, as one headline after another screams that the prime minister is in trouble, but it turns out that Likudniks’ faith in their leader – or for top politicians, fear of him – is strong enough to keep competition at bay. Continue reading