Likud MK David Bitan Proposes Five Reserved Slots for Netanyahu in Party List

Ahead of the Likud Constitution Committee meeting scheduled for Monday to discuss the party's Knesset list selection process, MK David Bitan circulated an alternative draft regulation. The meeting, initially planned for Sunday, was postponed shortly before it began, despite many party members already gathering near the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem.

Bitan's proposal centers on expanding the party leader's authority to allocate candidates, restructuring the party's districts, and adjusting representation mechanisms. It grants Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu five reserved spots within the top 50 positions on the Likud list, specifically at slots 2, 6, 16, 39, and 48. Netanyahu would have discretion to place candidates in these reserved slots, subject to Likud's constitution and legal guidelines. One reserved slot would be at number two, and any woman placed in these slots would count toward the party's gender representation requirements.

The draft also suggests consolidating the Dan and Tel Aviv districts into one, resulting in nine districts overall: Shfela, Dan-Tel Aviv, Negev, Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, Coastal Plain, Galilee and Valleys, Haifa, and Moshavim. Each district would elect one representative directly by its members, with district list positions determined by membership size, ranging from slot 26 for the largest to slot 40 for the smallest.

To ensure female representation, the draft mandates at least one woman in each of the first five groups of ten candidates, preventing any all-male top ten. Additionally, slot 34 is reserved for a "new woman" candidate who served up to six months cumulatively as a Knesset member, with a backup mechanism at slot 35 if unfilled. The draft also preserves reserved spots for non-Jewish sectors, immigrants, youth, and Haredi representation.

The document emphasizes this is a temporary measure for the upcoming election unless the party institutions decide otherwise. Earlier reports indicated two options for the committee: forming a committee to set the list or holding primaries with reserved slots for Netanyahu. The main dispute concerns the number of reserved slots, with proposals ranging from eight to eleven, both considered unusually high. Some party insiders criticized the high number, noting that eight reserved slots up to position 40 is unprecedented, though still manageable, while eight up to position 30 would significantly alter the list's composition. Netanyahu reportedly negotiated strategically by initially demanding eleven reserved slots, making eight appear a reasonable compromise.