Likud Committee Meeting Delayed Amid Power Struggle Between Netanyahu and Bitan Over Primary Elections

The Likud Constitution Committee meeting on Monday afternoon started late due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's delay. The committee is set to decide the party's candidate list format, with two main proposals in contention. Netanyahu supports a mixed system combining reserved slots, a steering committee, and limited primaries. In contrast, MK David Bitan, who has recently increased his political influence within Likud, advocates for regular primaries with Netanyahu receiving three realistic reserved slots (positions 2, 6, and 16) and two additional slots at 39 and 48.

The meeting convened on time but only began discussions upon Netanyahu's arrival. Due to the delay, there is consideration to postpone the secret vote to Thursday, which would likely push the primaries from the planned August 4 date to August 18. During the session, Bitan criticized the lack of clarity regarding reserved slots, stating, "They talk about reserved slots, but everything is unclear. We haven't seen who they want to reserve and what their value is to Likud."

Senior Likud officials report a fierce battle between Netanyahu's office and Bitan's faction in the hours leading up to the meeting. Bitan, backed by several MKs and ministers, seeks a majority for his proposal but his supporters remain publicly discreet to avoid direct confrontation with Netanyahu. Bitan's approach mirrors Netanyahu's earlier negotiation tactics, where Netanyahu initially demanded 10-11 reserved slots, anticipating a compromise later. Bitan now employs a similar strategy from the opposing side, aware Netanyahu will not settle for just three reserved slots.

Netanyahu aims to control at least one-third of the Likud list, believing this is crucial for the bloc's success in upcoming elections. He has held extensive meetings with MKs and ministers to weaken opposition. Pro-Netanyahu activists have launched a campaign against Bitan, accusing him of forming a faction within the party and shifting to the left. Apart from Bitan, only MK Tali Gottlieb publicly opposes Netanyahu's proposal, though she refrains from personal criticism and blames senior ministers for pushing Netanyahu against the wishes of Likud members. Gottlieb recently tweeted that ministers Yariv Levin and Israel Katz are behind the idea to cancel the primaries, aiming to preserve their power through the steering committee mechanism.