Likud Weighs Scrapping Primary, Using Committee to Shape Knesset Slate

Likud is holding internal discussions about canceling its primary for the next election and transferring control over the Knesset candidate list to a special committee. Party figures say the idea emerged alongside talks over the scope of the positions and reserved spots Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking, and it is gaining support among senior Likud officials, according to a report on Walla. One participant in Netanyahu’s meeting with Likud mayors said the prime minister currently sees the odds of the move as “50:50.”

Party insiders say that if the plan is adopted, Likud could significantly reshape its slate and potentially replace up to eight of the current Knesset members. The discussions also include changing the name of the mechanism from a “committee that arranges” the list to the softer term “advisory committee.” Even so, Likud officials say the core question remains unchanged, whether party activists or senior leaders will determine the list.

Netanyahu is also working to secure understandings with key power centers in the party, including ministers Haim Katz and Israel Katz, MK David Bitan, and Minister Miki Zohar. The assumption is that if their own standing and their allies are not harmed, opposition to the move will be limited.

At the same time, Likud is considering rule changes even if primaries are ultimately held. One option under review would let sitting female MKs who are not ministers run in regional slots. That could help MK Eti Atia, who is seen as close to Haim Katz. Another name mentioned was Minister Idit Silman, who is not currently an MK because of the Norwegian Law; she reportedly considered resigning from the government to run in the Shfela district if the changes were approved, but she denied it and told Walla she would “run as usual in the primaries.” Haim Katz’s office also rejected the claim, saying, “There is no truth to the allegation. It never happened.” Likud expects a decision in the coming days on whether to proceed with primaries or choose an alternative method for selecting the next Knesset list.