Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is examining a new compromise formula for Likud’s candidate selection, after his original push to abolish primaries entirely and replace them with a committee ran into legal trouble. The proposal would extend the national list to No. 40, place district candidates only after that point, and eliminate the party’s traditional reserved slots for a woman, a young candidate, a Haredi candidate, a minority representative, and a new immigrant.
In exchange, Netanyahu would receive nine personal safe spots on the list, three in each decade of the slate. The move has stirred anger among some Knesset members, who say it is an attempt to bypass internal party democracy and concentrate control of the list in the prime minister’s hands. Netanyahu, meanwhile, wants a roster with diverse candidates and an emphasis on appealing to younger voters, as Likud faces difficult polling and stronger competition from the right ahead of the next election.
The plan has also drawn support from some senior figures in the party, including Yisrael Local Government Association chairman Haim Bibas. Party sources say Bibas, and other mayors, may back the proposal because of their own interest in securing a reserved place on the list, especially amid expectations that Bibas will soon leave his current post.
The main obstacle is legal. Likud’s internal auditor, attorney Shai Gilili, wrote in a special report that canceling primaries without the explicit approval of every party member is unlawful. He said the proposal is “clearly unacceptable” until such consent is obtained, and added that even if the party constitution were changed to end internal elections, it could apply only to future election cycles, not the coming Knesset race. Gilili also said the option of granting personal safe spots would require a constitutional amendment.
Likud Central Committee chairman Haim Katz has issued Netanyahu an ultimatum to reach a decision. If no agreement is reached, Katz said he will convene the central committee to decide how the primaries will be held. The outcome will shape the party’s Knesset list and internal balance of power, and a final decision is still pending.
