Likud MK David Bitan says Netanyahu cannot force through his demands

Likud MK David Bitan said in an interview with i24news that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have to compromise over reserved spots on the party list. Bitan was responding to reports that Netanyahu could quit Likud and form a new political vehicle if he does not get 10 reserved slots in the party slate.

“Netanyahu can do whatever he wants. He will not leave and will remain only in Likud. We do not accept threats,” Bitan said. “Likud is a democratic party, and no one will threaten us, not even Netanyahu.”

Bitan said Netanyahu is the party’s candidate and acknowledged that Likud supported him for years, while also arguing that the party helped build him politically. He said the current faction gave Netanyahu backing on October 7 and helped Likud recover politically afterward. He also warned against bringing in outsiders who have not grown up in the party, saying it is impossible to know what they might do in the future.

Bitan predicted a compromise with Netanyahu, but not one involving 10 reserved slots among the first 30 places on the list. He said that if that happened, “half the ministers and all the Knesset members” would fail to win re-election, and that primary elections should be held properly.