Likud primaries standoff deepens as Netanyahu allies threaten split

Tensions inside Likud escalated as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies warned that if his demand for 10 reserved spots on the party slate is rejected, he could leave Likud and split the faction. They said he could not take the Likud name with him, but a split would severely hurt the party’s public funding. A senior Likud figure replied to Walla that even without Netanyahu, “we will remain in the movement without him, no matter the price,” adding that “the Likud brand is stronger than everything.”

The dispute, which has been simmering for weeks, centers on primaries, the reserved slots, and other issues ahead of the party’s next electoral list. Netanyahu believes many sitting Likud MKs are costing the party votes, including figures associated with criminal suspicions or with crude and vulgar rhetoric. After commissioning surveys and internal research, he prepared a list of lawmakers he does not want on the next Knesset slate, and also identified candidates he thinks could attract more support.

Among the names cited in his surveys were Tali Gvili, the mother of Sgt. Ran Gvili, who was murdered on October 7, Dr. Limor Semyan-Drash, and Haim Bibas, mayor of Modi'in and chair of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel, among others. Following those findings, Netanyahu announced he wanted 10 reserved spots. He also spoke with several Likud-affiliated mayors, including Bibas, Bnei Biton of Dimona, and Tzvika Brot of Bat Yam, about cancelling primaries and setting up a selection committee.

Netanyahu is said to be worried about low turnout in Likud strongholds and believes popular candidates could boost participation, especially in party-identifying cities. Some Likud members initially assumed he was demanding 10 spots only as leverage to settle for fewer, possibly five. But he is insisting on the full demand, while faction leaders oppose it. The main opponent is MK David Bitan. Against that backdrop, Netanyahu’s associates issued the warning that if he does not get what he wants, he will leave Likud with several members of the faction.