Likud Faces Internal Pressure to Reduce Netanyahu's Reserved Knesset Slots After Court Ruling

Following a Likud party court decision invalidating the option for sitting Knesset members to run in regional districts, intense internal pressure has mounted on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce the number of reserved slots (sharionim) allocated to him for the upcoming party list. The party court annulled a narrow conference approval that had allowed incumbent MKs to compete in districts, citing that it violated the party's equality principles.

This ruling effectively compresses the realistic spots available on the national list, prompting several MKs to urge Netanyahu to lower his eight reserved slots to allow more incumbents a chance to secure winnable positions. MK Nissim Vaturi specifically called for reducing the reserved slots to six, enabling two additional sitting MKs to be included on the national list. Other MKs have suggested even fewer reserved slots, between four and five.

As of now, Netanyahu's team has not responded to these demands or indicated whether he will partially or fully comply. The internal debate highlights tensions within Likud over candidate placement ahead of the primaries, with the party seeking to balance fairness and strategic electoral considerations.