Likud Primaries Set for August 4 Amid Dispute Over Reserved List Spots

The Likud party is preparing to hold its primary elections on August 4 for the 26th Knesset, although the party has yet to finalize the internal election method and the number of reserved spots on the candidate list. The main contention is over the number of guaranteed slots, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding 11 reserved positions within the top 40 places on the list. Minister Haim Katz opposes this demand, and no agreement has been reached so far. A Likud Constitution Committee meeting chaired by Katz is scheduled to discuss the primary election method, with a final decision on reserved spots expected in July.

About two weeks ago, reports indicated that the Likud primaries might be canceled, potentially allowing Netanyahu to largely determine the party list. Under that proposal, a selection committee including mayors and public figures would set the list order up to position 32, with Netanyahu able to reserve seven spots.

Separately, the Democratic Party in Israel announced it will hold its primaries on July 20, with 51 candidates competing. Their list includes representatives from various sectors and communities, including Jews, Druze, Arabs, and LGBTQ individuals, with an alternating gender placement rule to ensure balanced representation on the Knesset list.