Likud Faces Internal Clash Over Election Primary Format Ahead of July 17 Knesset Dissolution

The Likud party postponed a crucial meeting of its Constitution Committee from Sunday evening to Monday noon amid internal disputes over the upcoming election primary format. MK David Bitan proposed an alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's preferred "triangular" approach, which combines a steering committee, primaries, and reserved slots. Bitan's plan advocates maintaining the traditional full primaries system, allowing Likud members to directly elect nine district representatives up to the 50th spot on the party list. Under Bitan's proposal, Netanyahu would receive five reserved slots in the top 50, specifically at positions 2, 6, 16, 39, and 48.

Bitan's proposal also outlines the distribution of district representatives, with the largest district assigned to position 26 and others placed between positions 28 and 40. Additionally, the plan guarantees at least one woman in every group of ten candidates on the list. This alternative aims to preserve the power of Likud members in candidate selection, contrasting with Netanyahu's model that seeks to balance primaries with a steering committee and reserved slots to manage internal opposition.

The internal tension in Likud has escalated as Netanyahu holds intensive meetings with ministers and MKs to ease resistance and prevent rebellion or coalition dissent before the Knesset's official dissolution on July 17. The delayed committee meeting will resume Monday at 12:00 PM in the Prime Minister's office, where party leaders must decide between changing the election method or retaining the traditional primaries system.