Legal Battle Erupts Over Netanyahu’s Reserved Seats for Ministers in Likud Primaries

The Likud party is embroiled in controversy after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reserved spots on the party list for ministers Haim Katz and Israel Katz, sparking a legal challenge. Netanyahu’s legal advisor, Ilan Bombach, defended the move on Tuesday, stating the party leader has the freedom to reserve candidates and highlighting Haim Katz’s long service and experience as justification. The party’s internal court had issued an interim injunction halting the vote on Katz’s reserved seat pending further review.

Criticism came from Dr. Ran Baratz, former head of Likud’s public relations, who harshly condemned Netanyahu’s actions as unprecedentedly low, accusing him of collaborating with the party’s worst ministers. The Likud legal response to the petition denied any factual or legal basis for claims that Katz’s reserved seat was a quid pro quo for his committee work, calling such allegations unsupported by evidence.

The party court acknowledged prior approval of reserved seats for Israel Katz and Gideon Sa’ar but found the claims regarding Haim Katz warranted further examination, postponing the vote on his seat until a final ruling. Katz and the party’s legal team must respond within 24 hours.

Separately, MK Afif Abed filed a petition to the Supreme Court challenging the Likud’s decision to bar current MKs and ministers from running in regional primaries, seeking to run in the Galilee and Valleys district. The Supreme Court ordered the Likud court to respond by noon Wednesday, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

This internal Likud dispute highlights tensions over candidate selection ahead of upcoming primaries and raises questions about party leadership authority and fairness in the nomination process.