Netanyahu Proposes Unprecedented Plan to Reshape Likud Ahead of Mini-Primaries

Ahead of critical decisions in the Likud party, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to attend the party's Constitution Committee meeting on Sunday to finalize the framework for upcoming mini-primaries. According to close sources, Netanyahu is determined to demote several ministers and Knesset members from the party's right-wing faction. To achieve this, he has initiated an unprecedented plan involving a regulating committee for current MKs and ministers, primaries for district candidates and reserved slots for representation groups such as women, immigrants, and youth, alongside reserved positions allocated directly to Netanyahu. This strategy aims to rehabilitate the party list's image and improve its electoral standing.

Within Likud, there is growing speculation that Netanyahu specifically targets certain ministers and MKs, including MK Tali Gottlieb, whose rising influence is seen as problematic despite her role in energizing the base. Netanyahu is reportedly continuously assessing the public standing of several ministers to determine the list composition. A senior Likud official commented that Netanyahu's approach reflects his disregard for future terms, acting as if this is his last tenure and ignoring grassroots demands for primaries and the frustration among MKs excluded from advancing. The creation of a regulating committee contradicts Likud's traditional practices but is driven by Netanyahu's focus on this current term.

Behind the scenes, most senior ministers support the regulating committee, welcoming the avoidance of direct competition, as it preserves the existing list's structure and protects those previously elected in high positions. However, MKs with slim chances of reelection express anger over being blocked from competing for higher spots. Recently, Netanyahu signaled to the faction his intention to legislate an "expanded Norwegian law" if reelected, allowing more Likud representatives from the list to serve in the Knesset. Netanyahu has already reached an agreement with Constitution Committee Chair Haim Katz, who initially opposed but now appears to back the plan, ahead of the decisive Sunday meeting.