Netanyahu, Senior Likud Official Clash Amid Party Infighting

During a Likud party secretariat meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached MK David Bitan to shake his hand, but Bitan visibly refused, keeping his arms folded. Netanyahu, surprised, asked Bitan, "Bitan, why like this?" Bitan did not respond to the gesture. The incident escalated when Bitan also refused to shake the hand of Israel Katz, chairman of the Likud secretariat and Defense Minister. This public display of tension stems from an ongoing internal battle within the Likud party concerning the upcoming primary elections and the allocation of reserved spots on the party's Knesset list. Bitan has been a vocal opponent of proposed changes to the primary system and efforts to increase the number of reserved seats Netanyahu can directly appoint. The dispute has previously led to sharp exchanges, with Bitan criticizing the lack of transparency regarding reserved list positions and Netanyahu challenging Bitan's electoral support. The core of the conflict revolves around Netanyahu's desire for significant control over the party list, with a compromise eventually granting him eight reserved spots, a number Bitan had opposed. The tension peaked the day before the meeting when Bitan filed a petition with the Likud court against the method of approving reserved spots, leading the court to warn against last-minute maneuvers. Bitan's refusal to shake hands is seen as a culmination of this prolonged internal struggle for power within the Likud party and control over its electoral slate.