Likud officials say senior party figures are fiercely resisting Prime Minister Netanyahu's demand for 10 reserved slots on the party list, with some arguing it would be better to cancel primaries entirely and form an arranging committee than to grant such a large number of reserved positions, according to a Maariv report.
The internal Likud battle over Prime Minister Netanyahu's effort to secure a block of guaranteed Knesset seats escalated Monday evening, with senior party figures pushing back against a reported demand for ten reserved slots on the candidate list.
According to a Maariv report, sources within Likud described fierce resistance among party leaders to Netanyahu's demand, with some arguing it would be better to cancel primaries entirely and revert to an arranging committee — a move that would bypass the membership vote entirely — than to grant the prime minister such a large bloc. The report marks a further hardening of positions since Monday afternoon, when The Zioneer reported that Netanyahu had dropped the plan to cancel primaries and instead sought eight to ten reserved slots. The new report indicates that the demand itself, not just the mechanism for achieving it, is meeting organized opposition.
The development follows days of internal turmoil. Likud MK David Bitan, who has been a leading voice against any bypass of primaries, filed an urgent petition to the Likud party court on Sunday against the arranging committee proposal. Earlier reports had shown broad anger among Likud members, with warnings that canceling primaries would damage the party. The present standoff suggests the party is split between those opposing Netanyahu's bid for reserved slots outright and those willing to cancel primaries only if the alternative is granting his full demand.
3 developments
- StrongLikud primaries reportedly set to be canceled; Netanyahu to determine list
- DevelopingLikud members furious at Netanyahu amid warnings that canceled primaries would end the party
- StrongReports: Netanyahu camp considers Likud list slot for local government chair Bivas
- StrongNetanyahu schedules another political meeting amid Likud tensions over primary bypass
Source and signal
- Internal intake