Likud Court Gives Netanyahu Ultimatum on Knesset List Candidates

The Likud party's internal court issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, demanding he submit his candidate list for reserved Knesset seats within two hours. The court warned that failure to comply could lead to a secret ballot vote on the matter.

Netanyahu has not yet finalized all his reserved candidate nominations, despite the deadline for submitting the party's list to the Central Elections Committee being Tuesday at 10 PM. The court expressed concern that releasing the proposed list shortly before a vote could be perceived as an "unseemly maneuver."

The court referenced a party resolution requiring 48 hours' notice before a vote on such matters, noting that legal counsel had indicated this timeline might be impossible to meet due to "extreme political constraints." However, the court emphasized that with other parties having already submitted their lists, it is appropriate for the reserved seat proposals to be published promptly.

One court member, attorney Yitzhak Bam, stated that the 48-hour period is intended to allow secretariat members time for deliberation and the possibility of requesting a secret ballot. He reiterated that publishing the proposal close to the vote could be seen as an improper tactic.

Earlier reports suggested that Netanyahu's reserved seats might be pushed to lower positions on the list due to pressure from senior party members. The secretariat meeting to approve these reserved seats has been postponed to Tuesday at 11 AM. Netanyahu was initially allocated 10 reserved spots, with four planned for the top ten positions. He has secured spots three and nine, and has also reserved spots four and five for ministers Israel Katz and Gideon Sa'ar. So far, only one new name, Oren Dubronsky, has been announced for spot eleven. Ministers Nir Barkat and Gila Gamliel are confirmed to remain in their spots, 24 and 25, which are considered precarious given recent polls predicting 23 mandates for Likud.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues to seek suitable candidates. Beer Sheva Mayor Rubik Danilovich reportedly rejected a significant offer to be placed third, serve as a senior minister, and deputy prime minister.