Netanyahu Warns Likud List Won't Secure Government, Pushes for More Reserved Seats

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is intensifying efforts to secure a larger number of reserved slots on the Likud party list ahead of the upcoming elections. On Monday morning, he visited the home of Minister Haim Katz, chairman of the Likud Central Committee, to persuade him to approve an increased quota of reserved seats for Netanyahu himself.

In a statement first reported on the main evening news, Netanyahu conveyed to senior Likud officials that the current party list "will not bring government." A senior Likud source explained that Netanyahu's argument is the need to "inject new blood and refresh the ranks with other excellent new people."

Last month, Netanyahu proposed canceling the party primaries once and transferring the power to select the list to the party conference, fearing that primaries might elevate candidates he finds undesirable. This proposal sparked discontent among list members and local leaders.

Likud insiders expect a compromise to emerge, likely increasing Netanyahu's reserved seats while still holding the primaries. The Likud Constitution Committee convened last week and officially set the party primaries for August 4, initiating the internal election process. However, key disagreements remain unresolved regarding reserved seats, district placements, and their impact on the final list composition.