Likud Court Orders Netanyahu to Publish Reserved Seats by 9 PM

The Likud party's internal court has set a deadline of 9 PM for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publish his proposed reserved seats on the party's Knesset list. If the proposal is not submitted to the secretariat members by this time, the party's legal advisor must explain why a secret ballot should not be held.

The ruling came in response to a petition filed by Knesset Member David Bitan, who complained that Netanyahu had not yet announced the candidates for these reserved spots. The court emphasized that while a previous ruling suggested proposals should be shared 48 hours before a vote, extreme political circumstances could justify a shorter timeframe.

However, the court stated that it is "appropriate" for the proposal to be published quickly, especially since other parties have already submitted their lists. The court rejected Bitan's request to cancel the reserved seats due to the delay, deeming it unfeasible. It warned that publishing the proposal shortly before the vote could be seen as an "improper maneuver."

The 9 PM deadline means that if the proposal isn't submitted, the party's legal advisor will need to justify why the vote should not be considered implicitly agreed to be a secret ballot, bypassing the usual requirement for 10% of the secretariat members to sign a petition for such a vote.