Likud Faces Internal Deadlock as Primaries Postponed Amid Leadership Disputes

The Likud party is experiencing ongoing internal turmoil with no clear resolutions in sight, as the party's constitutional committee meeting is expected to postpone the upcoming party conference to Thursday and delay the primaries until mid-August. This development comes amid efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a rebellion among Likud MKs over contentious decisions regarding the party's primary election rules, aiming to secure their support for critical legislative votes before the Knesset dissolves.

The constitutional committee convened to decide on the structure and rules of the primaries, including whether the candidate list will be set by a steering committee, the party center, or through an open vote by all members. A key issue is the number of reserved slots ("sharionim") Netanyahu will receive on the list, with the Prime Minister initially demanding 10 reserved spots within the top 30 positions to ensure a significant renewal of the list and to address public dissatisfaction with party veterans.

This demand met strong opposition from senior party members such as MK David Bitan and Minister Haim Katz, who argued that 10 reserved slots are excessive and that a steering committee is illegal and unacceptable. After weeks of debate and delays, Netanyahu and Katz reportedly reached a compromise granting Netanyahu nine reserved slots up to position 30 and an additional slot at position 35, totaling 10 reserved spots. The remaining slots are expected to be allocated to party districts.

However, Bitan remains dissatisfied and has filed an urgent petition with the party's court, claiming the current process unfairly advantages Netanyahu and demanding a different set of rules that would limit Netanyahu to three reserved slots and reduce the national list size. The constitutional committee's failure to finalize the regulations has contributed to the repeated postponements.

The Likud conference is now slated for Thursday, with the primaries expected on August 4, though last-minute changes remain possible. The internal disputes highlight the ongoing power struggles within the party ahead of the 2026 elections.

Summary: The Likud party is delaying its conference and primaries amid internal disputes over primary election rules and reserved list slots, with Prime Minister Netanyahu seeking to secure 10 reserved positions while facing opposition from party members like David Bitan, who has filed a petition challenging the process.

Points: - Likud postpones party conference to Thursday and primaries to mid-August amid internal disputes. - Netanyahu demands 10 reserved slots in the top 30 of the party list to ensure renewal. - Senior members like David Bitan oppose Netanyahu's demand, calling it excessive and illegal. - Netanyahu and Katz reportedly agree on 10 reserved slots, but Bitan files a petition against the process. - The constitutional committee has yet to finalize primary rules, causing repeated delays. - Primaries are now scheduled for August 4, with possible last-minute changes.

Topic: politics

Entities: {"people":["Benjamin Netanyahu","David Bitan","Haim Katz","Motty Kastel"],"organizations":["Likud","Knesset"],"places":[]}