Likud Court Upholds Minister Haim Katz’s Reserved Spot on Party List Before Primaries

The Likud party court ruled on Wednesday to reject petitions against the reserved placement of Minister Haim Katz on the party’s Knesset list. This decision secures Katz a guaranteed spot on the list and ends a contentious internal dispute within the ruling party.

The court explicitly affirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as party chairman, is authorized to reserve Katz’s position among the eight guaranteed slots approved by the Likud central committee, even before the party primaries take place. The ruling stated there is no obligation to wait for the primary results.

Petitions had alleged a serious conflict of interest, noting Katz’s role as chairman of the Likud Constitution Committee, which approved the reservation mechanism benefiting him personally. However, the court found these claims unproven, describing much of the evidence as rumors and insufficient to substantiate the accusations of wrongdoing.

Likud court president Michael Kleiner expressed support for Katz, emphasizing that placing an experienced and loyal minister in the list is preferable to including a new external candidate. Katz, who has held various government and parliamentary roles over the years, now officially secures his reserved spot without contesting the primaries.

The reserved slots controversy had stirred significant internal opposition within Likud in recent weeks. Netanyahu sought approval for eight reserved spots, up from five in previous elections, barely passing the party conference amid strong dissent. Concurrently, a Tel Aviv district court rejected a proposal allowing ministers and MKs to run in specific districts, seen as a setback for Netanyahu.

With Katz’s reservation confirmed, Netanyahu achieves a partial victory in shaping the party list. Critics within Likud argue the decision undermines internal democracy by bypassing the primary election process.