Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael Elections 2026Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, who has faced investigations and public backlash over alleged assault and social media posts, announced on X that he will take part in the Likud primaryShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeHaaretz08:02 PM • August 12 2026 IDTIsraeli Deputy Minister Almog Cohen said Wednesday he is leaving the far-right Otzma Yehudit party to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud, after the prime minister agreed to change party rules to allow Cohen to compete in the party's primary next week.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israel Elections 2026LikudBenjamin NetanyahuOtzma YehuditCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesIran-HormuzLebanonWest BankYoav SegalovitzDefense PactMichigan PrimaryElection PollsHaQuizHaaretz Podcast'Zionist' Has Become Toxic in America. The Jewish Establishment Must Confront ItNetanyahu Changes Likud Rules to Let Far-right Politician Run in PrimaryMet Gala Honor for Designer Disgraced by Antisemitism Gets Mixed ReviewsFamilies of Israel-backed Lebanese Militia Members Can Now Return to LebanonSwedish Left Party Faces Scrutiny Over Support Letters to Palestinian TerroristsRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMI50 Years Ago, a Young Israeli Was Crowned the Most Beautiful Woman in the WorldIsrael's Leading Philosopher on Manipulation, Morality and the Future of ZionismWho Is Rebeca Grynspan, the Jewish Frontrunner to Become the Next UN Chief?How a Teen, Not a Journalist, Debunked Israel's Gaza 'Voluntary Emigration' Plan'I Saw Pictures of Dead Kids. In the Army They Told Us We Only Kill Terrorists'Israel Elections: How to Actually Read the Polls