Channel 14 political desk chief Mati Tuchfeld reports that the overnight announcement reserving Knesset slots for ministers Israel Katz and Haim Katz has sparked broad internal unrest within Likud. MK Tali Gotliv is the only lawmaker to have publicly attacked the move, but many ministers and MKs are seething behind the scenes as the national list becomes more crowded and competition for realistic spots intensifies.
Channel 14 political desk chief Mati Tuchfeld reported Tuesday morning that the overnight announcement reserving Knesset slots for Defense Minister Israel Katz and Social Security Minister Haim Katz has sparked broad internal unrest within Likud. The overnight move, confirmed by multiple Israeli media outlets at 01:17 Jerusalem Tuesday, secured two high-profile positions on the party's list. Tuchfeld's account is the first detailed description of the internal backlash.
The development follows an earlier analysis published by The Zioneer at 01:46 Jerusalem, which alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blackmailed by party officials into approving the slots. That claim remains unconfirmed. Tuchfeld's reporting shows that while MK Tali Gotliv is the only Likud lawmaker to have publicly condemned the move in strong terms, many ministers and MKs are described as furious over the increased crowding of the national list, making Monday's primary race even more competitive.
The reserved slots are the latest chapter in a months-long internal struggle over Likud's candidate selection method. As The Zioneer reported on June 22, opposition grew within the party to Netanyahu's demand for up to 10 reserved slots. On June 23, Netanyahu was reported to have threatened to quit the party if his demands were not met. On June 24, Minister Miri Regev stated that primaries would be held, but that the prime minister's demands would be heard. More recently, on August 4, a Likud court ruling forced many sitting MKs to choose between their current seats and running in districts, further roiling the party.
The blackmail allegation remains unsubstantiated by independent sources, and it is unclear whether any additional Likud MKs will publicly break ranks ahead of Monday's primary.
15 developments
- StrongLikud party court to convene tonight on Haim Katz slotting; legal adviser rejects conflict claims
- DevelopingBardugo: Haim Katz's reserved slot is 'secretary-general' style; Israel Katz's slot logical amid security
- StrongLikud: Defense Minister Israel Katz will not be reserved in top five, may fall to lower list slots
- StrongNetanyahu, Katz nearing agreement on Likud reserved slots ahead of primaries
Source and signal
- Open-source intake