Netanyahu Faces Pressure to Secure Minister Avi Dichter's Knesset Seat via Reserved Slot

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under significant pressure from senior Likud officials to guarantee a Knesset seat for Minister Avi Dichter, who was ousted in the party primaries. According to a report by Anna Barsky on Maariv's website, there is growing expectation within the party that Netanyahu will invoke the "reserved slot" clause available to him to elevate Dichter to a realistic position on the electoral list. This demand arises amid changes in the party's security leadership and following the resignation of Yoav Galant. Likud insiders emphasize the electoral importance of maintaining a senior security figure like Dichter, a former head of the Shin Bet, within the viable range of the list.

The reserved slot mechanism allows the party leader to promote a candidate who ran in the primaries to a higher position, replacing one of the reserved ministerial slots allocated to him. Although petitions have been filed against the use of this clause, the Likud court has already reviewed and approved its legality. This move is part of broader strategic adjustments within the party, including similar considerations for other candidates such as Nir Barkat.