Netanyahu Nears Deal for 10 Reserved Slots in Likud Primary List

Ahead of the Likud party primaries scheduled for August 4, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is close to finalizing an agreement with Minister Haim Katz and other senior party officials on a new party regulation. The proposed deal would grant Netanyahu ten reserved slots on the Likud Knesset list, including nine within the top 30 positions and an additional slot at number 35. The reserved spots are set for positions 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 29, and 35. Meanwhile, district representatives are expected to be placed at positions 27, 28, 30, and 31. Current female Knesset members will be allowed to run in district races, a move seen as beneficial to MK Eti Atiya, who is considered close to Minister Katz.

The Likud Constitution Committee is scheduled to convene tomorrow to approve the regulation, which will then be presented for a vote at the party conference on Thursday. However, internal opposition and power struggles within the party may complicate the approval process. Legal challenges are also anticipated, particularly concerning the eligibility of incumbent female MKs to run in districts, with critics arguing this may conflict with Likud’s constitutional provisions on gender equality in the list.

Party sources aim to finalize the agreement by 1 p.m. tomorrow. If the proposal fails to pass by then, the party will revert to the default primary regulations used in the 2022 internal elections. The primaries themselves remain set for August 4, marking a critical moment for Likud’s candidate selection ahead of upcoming national elections.