Netanyahu Considers Reserving Knesset Seat for Former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon After Likud Primaries

Following the conclusion of the Likud party primaries and the release of final results, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is focusing on the eight reserved slots he controls to shape the party's Knesset list. According to a report by Maariv, former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who voted in Haifa, received a message from Netanyahu’s camp offering him a high reserved spot on the list if he wishes to return to politics. Kahlon has neither accepted nor rejected the offer and told close associates that he has not yet made a final decision about a political comeback.

This move comes amid internal Likud polling on the issue of cost of living, which found that Kahlon remains strongly associated with efforts to combat housing prices and living expenses. This public perception positions him as a valuable candidate to strengthen the party’s economic platform. The reserved slots allow Netanyahu to influence the party list beyond the primary results, potentially bringing back prominent figures like Kahlon to bolster Likud’s appeal.

Separately, after being ousted from Likud, former member Mai Golan is reportedly set to be placed on the list of Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, indicating shifting alliances within the right-wing political landscape.