Likud Court Halts Vote on Reserved Spot for Party Chairman Haim Katz Amid Corruption Claims

The Likud party's internal court issued an interim injunction on Tuesday to stop the vote on granting a reserved spot on the party list to Haim Katz, chairman of the party's central committee. The petitioner alleges a conflict of interest and political quid pro quo related to the approval of reserved spots. The court stated that the petitioner's claims warrant further investigation.

The day before, Likud announced that alongside reserved spots for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the party would also reserve spots for Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Haim Katz. The party justified reserving a spot for Defense Minister Katz to allow him to focus on security matters rather than politics, and Sa'ar's placement was part of a coalition agreement with his party. Haim Katz's reservation was linked to his role as party central committee chairman.

The announcement sparked significant outrage among Likud ministers and Knesset members. While Sa'ar's reserved spot was accepted, the reservations for Israel Katz and Haim Katz provoked accusations of coercion and corruption. Critics within the party claimed that Israel Katz pressured Netanyahu to secure his reserved spot in exchange for approving Netanyahu's own reserved spots. One senior Likud official called it a "scandal," while others described it as a hostile takeover by party operatives and an outrageous act of corruption. Another MK labeled the move a "disgrace and a coup."

This internal conflict highlights tensions within Likud over candidate list placements ahead of upcoming elections, with the party court now set to examine the allegations further.