The Zioneer reports that Likud has decided to reserve a Knesset list slot for commentator Yaakov Bardugo, following a heated late-night conversation. The report also indicates that opponents of Prime Minister Netanyahu will wage an intensive campaign to prevent his re-election, though the final decision rests with voters.
The Zioneer reported Wednesday that Likud has decided to reserve a Knesset list slot for commentator Yaakov Bardugo, following a heated late-night discussion, according to a party source. The decision places Bardugo among the party's senior ranks and arrives after a day of intensive reports on Tuesday. The source also said that opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will wage an intensive campaign to prevent his re-election, though the final decision rests with voters.
Throughout Tuesday, The Zioneer tracked a series of developments: initial reports indicated Bardugo was expected to receive a reserved slot; later, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Gideon Sa'ar were reported to have reached an agreement on the slot, though the appointment remained pending due to additional demands from Bardugo. Subsequently, Likud officially confirmed that Bardugo would receive the 11th reserved slot on the party's list. Another report, by journalist Amiel Yarhi, suggested that Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister's son, pushed for Bardugo's slot — a claim that remains unconfirmed. The thread's accounts evolved from unverified expectations to official confirmation by the party.
The Zioneer has previously covered internal Likud tensions, including Bardugo's accusation that former ambassador Gilad Erdan prefers a coalition with Arab parties over a Netanyahu-led government (Aug 9, 2026), and the Likud party court's intervention over the publication of reserved slots (Sep 7, 2026). On June 28, as The Zioneer reported, Netanyahu pledged to form a broad national unity government while ruling out a Palestinian state.
It remains unconfirmed whether Bardugo has formally accepted the reserved slot, and the exact timing of the heated discussion — before or after the official announcement — has not been disclosed. Details of the opponents' campaign claimed by the source remain unspecified.
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Source and signal
- Open-source intake