Likud MK Tali Gottlieb Criticizes Netanyahu Over Plans to Reserve Knesset Seat for Avi Dichter

Likud Member of Knesset Tali Gottlieb sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday following reports that Netanyahu intends to reserve a Knesset slot for Minister Avi Dichter, who ranked low in the recent Likud primaries. Gottlieb expressed her disapproval of Netanyahu's plan to bypass the primary results by granting a reserved seat to Dichter, arguing that the reserved slots were meant to strengthen the party list by bringing in new candidates rather than reinstating those who failed in the primaries.

Gottlieb highlighted that alongside Haim Katz, who was exempted from the primaries, Netanyahu's intention to reserve a spot for Dichter undermines the democratic process within Likud and disregards the voters' decisions. She suggested that if Netanyahu insists on reserving a seat for someone who did not succeed in the primaries, he should cancel reserved slots intended for new candidates in the second tier of the list and instead place those who failed in the third tier to maintain fairness.

Additionally, Gottlieb urged Netanyahu to give more opportunities to female Likud MKs, warning that neglecting women could fuel accusations of gender exclusion and inadvertently benefit left-wing critics. Her comments reflect internal tensions within Likud regarding candidate selection and party democracy ahead of the upcoming elections.