Likud Faces Internal Rift as Netanyahu Yields on Candidate List Quotas

Members of the Likud party are set to vote on the party's candidate list composition on Thursday amid significant internal turmoil. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded ten reserved spots on the list, a move opposed by many party members. In response, Knesset member David Bitan addressed the party's central committee, asserting that the proposal to be presented is not Netanyahu's but that of Haim Katz, chairman of the Constitution Committee. Bitan criticized the committee, elected 15 years ago, as unrepresentative and argued that the reserved spots would benefit other parties rather than strengthen Likud. He emphasized that Netanyahu was forced to concede to Katz's demands, saying, "Netanyahu was compelled to yield to Haim Katz, who briefly used his position to secure his list." Bitan concluded by stating that even Netanyahu's requests would not serve Likud's interests and predicted the party would suffer as a result.