Dudi Bitan Proposes Compromise for Likud Primary Rules Amid Netanyahu's List Control Debate

On Sunday evening, Likud MK Dudi Bitan presented an alternative proposal for setting the rules of the party's upcoming primaries, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a scheduled Likud Constitution Committee meeting intended to decide the candidate list formation for the Knesset elections. Bitan's proposal grants Netanyahu five reserved slots on the Likud list at positions 2, 6, 16, 39, and 48, significantly reducing the previously discussed number of reserved spots, which had ranged between eight and ten.

The plan allows each registered Likud member to vote for up to 12 candidates on the ballot. Additionally, nine local representatives, one from each of the party's nine districts, would be included in the list according to yet-to-be-determined rules. The proposal also introduces a mechanism to ensure female representation: at least one woman must be placed in each of the first five groups of ten candidates (positions 1 to 50), and no subsequent group of ten can be without female representation.

Earlier reports indicated Netanyahu had offered two alternatives to senior Likud officials: forming a selection committee to choose the list alongside district-level elections, or holding full primaries for the national list while allowing Netanyahu to reserve a double-digit number of candidates. Party insiders suggested Netanyahu favors primaries combined with expanded authority to shape the list through reserved slots. The goal is to create a framework acceptable to the Constitution Committee members and avoid opposition to the proposals.

No final decision has been made yet, and discussions on the primary format and list composition are expected to continue in the coming days.