Netanyahu Warns Likud List Will Be Set by Committee If Primaries Are Impossible

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a closed meeting of Likud local leaders that if the security situation prevents holding primaries, the party’s Knesset list will be determined by a special organizing committee. This statement comes amid internal disputes within Likud over Netanyahu and Minister Haim Katz’s reserved spots proposal and after the Likud Central Committee vote was postponed again, likely until Thursday. Likud sources said Netanyahu’s move aims to pressure the Constitution Committee members to grant him greater control over the list composition. The proposal has sparked opposition within the party. Likud MK David Bitan criticized it, saying while Netanyahu deserves reserved spots, there is disagreement over their number and placement, and that the current proposal harms Likud’s internal democracy. If the organizing committee option advances, it would mark a significant change in how Likud’s Knesset list is set and could intensify internal tensions ahead of the elections.