Netanyahu Faces Backlash Over Reserved Knesset Slots for Key Ministers Amid Party Tensions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced reserved Knesset slots for ministers Israel Katz, Gideon Sa'ar, and Haim Katz, sparking anger within the Likud party. On Tuesday morning, it was revealed that Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar would be placed in the top ten list, while Likud chairman Haim Katz was assigned to the second ten. Party insiders criticized Netanyahu's decision, accusing him of yielding to pressure from Haim Katz, who helped approve the reserved slots at the party conference, and Israel Katz, who heads the Likud secretariat responsible for approving these slots.

A senior Likud official claimed Israel Katz realized he would rank low on the list and used controversial videos to pressure Netanyahu into reserving him a slot in exchange for approving the reserved positions. Likud's court president, attorney Michael Kleiner, stated in an interview that Israel Katz had known about his reserved slot for over a week. Environment Minister Idit Silman commented on the reserved slots, saying that Gideon Sa'ar's placement was based on an agreement that must be respected, and that Israel Katz deserved a high position as Defense Minister. She refrained from commenting on Haim Katz's placement.

The controversy highlights internal party tensions over Netanyahu's control of candidate rankings and the influence of key ministers in securing their political futures ahead of elections. The reserved slots system, which guarantees certain politicians a place on the party list regardless of primary results, remains a contentious issue within Likud.