Netanyahu Plans to Use Party Slots to Save Smotrich Amid Winter and Hadad Threats

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing a contingency plan to protect Bezalel Smotrich and the Religious Zionist faction within the Likud party, as new political threats emerge from within the right-wing bloc ahead of the 2026 elections. The rise of Offir Winter and Yosef Hadad, who are gaining traction with a new party, poses a risk of eroding Smotrich's influence and possibly eliminating him from the political scene.

Winter and Hadad's public exposure and growing supporter base could give their new party a strong starting point, potentially surpassing the electoral threshold. This scenario would make it difficult for Winter to withdraw his candidacy, and could also prevent a later alliance with Smotrich. Likud fears that if Winter and his faction persist, it could split the right-wing vote and weaken the bloc.

In response, Netanyahu is considering using the eight remaining reserved slots ("shielding slots") on the Likud list to strengthen the party's lineup and safeguard allied factions like Religious Zionism. These slots allow Netanyahu to place candidates in favorable positions on the list, potentially pushing down those who won primaries. This move is politically sensitive, as it risks alienating incumbent Knesset members who might lose their seats.

Netanyahu's balancing act involves reinforcing the Likud list to minimize vote loss while managing internal party tensions. The reserved slots could also be used to support other parties within the right-wing bloc, but any reshuffling will require careful negotiation with Likud lawmakers. The outcome of this strategy will be a key test of Netanyahu's leadership and influence over the party's final candidate list ahead of the elections.