According to those same sources, Netanyahu’s insistence on 10 reserved slots could trigger a severe crisis. One official said, “Insisting on 10 reserved slots could crush Likud,” while others said a breakaway move would delight the camps of Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett. Even so, they said they believe Netanyahu will not let the dispute reach a point of no return, adding, “We trust Netanyahu not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
The internal crisis comes after a series of legal developments. Likud’s Supreme Court rejected Bitan’s request for an immediate order against canceling the primaries, but ruled that as long as the party constitution is unchanged, a “forming committee” cannot replace primaries. Likud members interpret that as a partial victory for Bitan, because the court effectively accepted that without a constitutional change and approval by party institutions, there is no legal route to create such a committee. The Jerusalem District Court then adopted that position and canceled an earlier injunction.
Against that backdrop, Likud expects the party convention, which had been scheduled, to be postponed by several days. Before then, the constitution committee must decide the key issues, including how many reserved slots Netanyahu will receive, the primary system, and how the Knesset list will be assembled. The committee is expected to decide whether a full primary plan will be brought for approval, how many slots the chairman gets, and what role the districts will have on the list.
There is still no agreement between the rival camps, and both sides plan another meeting in the coming days in an effort to reach understandings before the committee’s ruling. Party sources described a round of leaks, raised voices, and mutual pressure, but said they still expect a compromise. One proposal under discussion is to give each of the six districts realistic placement, allowing new heavyweight candidates to run in primaries rather than enter through reserved slots. Likud figures also mentioned possible candidates such as former MK Eli Goldschmidt and Local Government Center chair Haim Bibas. Despite the confrontation, Likud officials say dialogue remains open and a scheduled meeting with Netanyahu is still expected, with the next few days seen as decisive for avoiding a public split at the top of the party.
