Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has abandoned his backup plan to cancel Likud primaries and replace them with a “steering committee,” according to a report Monday by Shahar Glick on Kan News. He now appears to be trying to trade that retreat for a larger number of reserved spots on the party list, with his camp seeking 8 to 10 personal safeties.
Likud MK David Bitan, who is leading the opposition inside the party, said the struggle is far from over and insisted the party leadership and central committee will not agree to so many appointments. In a morning interview, he said, “If you want to appoint so much, bring 3 who will lift the list, nobody will oppose them.”
Bitan filed a petition on Sunday with the Likud party court asking it to block the steering committee and preserve the planned primaries for selecting the Knesset slate. In the filing, he called the move a “constitutional coup” and an improper attempt to “change the rules of the game while moving.” He argued it violates the rights of tens of thousands of Likud members, contradicts the party constitution, and runs against earlier court rulings, potentially damaging public trust in the movement. No hearing date has yet been set.
The dispute began about a month ago, when reports said Netanyahu was demanding no fewer than 10 safeties and was refusing to compromise, with allies warning that if he was rejected he might even lead an independent list. His concern is that the current Likud slate is seen as weak and will not energize the base. He wants to refresh it with prominent names linked to the October 7 events, including bereaved family members and hostage families. Another proposal would extend the national list to place 40 before district races begin, abolish reserved slots for women, young people, ultra-Orthodox voters, minorities and new immigrants, and give Netanyahu nine safeties, three in each decade of the list.
Mayor support for the effort is being led by senior local officials, including Yisrael Beiteinu? No, by Likud-aligned municipal leaders such as Chaim Bibas, chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities and mayor of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, who is also said to want a Knesset reservation. Likud officials believe Bibas and other mayors see the Knesset as a path that could free up his current local-government post. The remaining question is whether Netanyahu can force the party center to accept his preferred number of safeties or must settle for a smaller compromise.
