Netanyahu Appoints Oren Dobronsky to Likud Slate Amid Past Controversies
2 sources · Israel
Who reported this
- Haaretz
- The Times of Israel
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Every source for this story reports from Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has selected entrepreneur and political newcomer Oren Dobronsky as one of his handpicked candidates for the Likud party ahead of the October 27 general election. Dobronsky, a businessman and investor on the reality show "The Sharks," is the first of eight slots Netanyahu is filling for the party slate. Shortly after the announcement, Dobronsky issued an apology to US President Donald Trump for previous social media posts in which he called Trump a "morally corrupt piece of shit" and described his team as "imbeciles." These comments were made in June 2026 regarding a memorandum of understanding with Iran and the exclusion of Israel from the negotiating table. In his apology, Dobronsky stated that he had lost his temper and called Trump the greatest friend Israel ever had in the White House. Additionally, Dobronsky has faced criticism for remarks made during the war in Gaza. He wrote in 2024 that Israel should fight as if there were no hostages and that defeating Hamas should take precedence over the lives of captives. One source further noted that he wrote Gaza must be destroyed to the ground.
How each side framed it
- Left
- The left-leaning source emphasized Dobronsky's aggressive rhetoric regarding the destruction of Gaza.
- Centre
- The center-leaning source focused on the political damage control and the context of Israel's concerns regarding the Iran agreement.
Sources
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