Economy Minister Barkat hires private investigators to ensure there is no fraud at Likud primaries

Barkat's team believes that there is a plot in the Likud to ostracize him and prevent him from running again, with fears of possible fraud during the party's primaries.

Fearing possible fraud during Monday's Likud primaries, Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat hired a team of undercover private investigators to ensure that the counting process would be conducted properly, sources familiar with the matter told Walla.

The team consists of field personnel placed in many polling stations across the country, with special emphasis on the counting center, where the voting data is fed, the sources revealed.

They also revealed that some of the team members are equipped with recording devices in order to collect evidence in real time in the event that suspicions of fraud, bias, or irregularities in the vote count arise.

Barkat was accused of attempting a coup against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after October 7 and was "marked" as someone Netanyahu and his associates do not want to visit.

People close to Barkat believe Netanyahu-affiliated figures inside the Likud decided to "ensure that his political career ended" after the primaries, pushing the minister to hire the investigation team.

'Correct wrongdoing, bring culprits to justice'

Barkat's team also said that if the team finds any wrongdoing, the plan is to correct it, pass the findings to the authorized bodies, and take those responsible to justice.

"Anyone who thinks it's possible to play with votes, the count, or the results should know that this time there is someone watching, recording, and checking," said a source involved in the matter.

"If wrongdoing is discovered, the goal will be not only to correct the result but also to ensure that those responsible for it are brought to justice," they added.