Likud preliminary meeting: sharp dispute over reserved slots and districts

A preliminary meeting of the Likud Constitution Committee on Thursday night featured a sharp dispute over the number of reserved slots and the allocation of districts, according to journalist Dafna Liel (N12). Minister Haim Katz insists only female MKs compete for the districts, while Prime Minister Netanyahu considers also allowing male MKs. The discussion reached high tones.

A preliminary meeting of the Likud Constitution Committee on Thursday night broke out in a sharp dispute over the allocation of reserved slots and the division of electoral districts, according to journalist Dafna Liel (N12). The meeting, which precedes the full committee session scheduled for Sunday, saw Minister Haim Katz, who chairs the committee, insist that only female MKs should be allowed to compete for the district slots. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is considering expanding eligibility to include male MKs, was reportedly also present in the discussion, which escalated to high tones.

The dispute comes amid ongoing internal Likud tensions over the party's primary election method and the number of reserved slots. As The Zioneer reported earlier today, the full Constitution Committee is set to convene on Sunday to discuss primaries and reserved slots. The committee has been deadlocked for weeks, with Katz pushing for primaries and Netanyahu seeking a larger number of reserved positions. The outcome of tonight's preliminary meeting could shape the agenda for Sunday's session.

What remains unclear is whether any agreement was reached during the preliminary meeting, or whether the dispute will carry over to the main committee meeting. The positions of other committee members were not detailed in the report.

3 developments

1. 3 hours ago · 23:37 · 9 JulLatest

   Katz insists on female-only district candidates; Netanyahu considers allowing males.

2. 23:02 · 9 Jul

   Sharp dispute over reserved slots and district allocation between Katz and Netanyahu.

3. 13:12 · 9 Jul

   Likud Constitution Committee to convene Sunday to discuss primaries and reserved slots

• Strong21:03 · 28 JunNetanyahu, Katz nearing agreement on Likud reserved slots ahead of primaries
• Developing21:36 · 24 JunNetanyahu offers Likud MKs specific reserved list slots amid infighting
• Strong18:58 · 22 JunLikud infighting intensifies over Netanyahu's demand for 10 reserved slots
• Strong17:17 · 17 JunLikud Constitution Committee summoned for Tuesday; chairman Haim Katz moves to force primaries

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