Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu reassured his supporters on Wednesday after the primary that produced a particularly right-wing list. He has also launched a campaign to calm down the international community and ease concerns about the peace process should Netanyahu become prime minister after the February election.
Concerns increased this week after far-right-winger Moshe Feiglin and many of his supporters did well in the primary.
In a series of consultations, Netanyau said the "Feiglin effect" would fade and the party would soon regain what few Knesset seats it might lose from the recent negative publicity.
"The entire faction is with me," he told confidants.
"They all called today and expressed their support. Feiglin will fade away very quickly. They can blow it up more and more, but even this lemon doesn't have much juice left in it," he said.
