Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that if the security situation does not permit holding primaries for the Likud list, the party will convene an organizing committee instead. The remarks come amid ongoing internal negotiations over reserved slots, with new details reported on the slots Netanyahu secured for the 26th Knesset elections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Sunday evening that the Likud party will move to an organizing committee to select its Knesset list if the security situation prevents primaries. The statement, reported by The Zioneer, adds a definitive conclusion to a day of evolving positions on the contingency mechanism.
Earlier Sunday, at 15:44 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported a rapid sequence of statements from Netanyahu to Likud mayors. He first warned that the security situation could force cancellation of primaries, then proposed a five-mayor committee and eight reserved slots in the top 20. He later suggested that primaries could coincide with election day, and finally said he opposes an organizing committee but would head one in a national emergency. The current confirmation aligns with these earlier proposals, and the reporting has been consistent with N12's Daphna Liel as a primary source throughout.
The development comes against a backdrop of weeks of internal Likud negotiations. As The Zioneer reported on June 23, Netanyahu demanded 10 reserved slots and threatened to leave the party. By July 14, MK Avichai Buaron stated that Netanyahu would receive eight reserved slots, and a compromise proposal from July 1 placed his picks up to position 25. The threat of an organizing committee, which gives party leadership more control over the list, has been a recurring theme in these negotiations.
What remains open: the exact details of the reserved slots Netanyahu has secured are still unconfirmed, and the Prime Minister's office has not issued a formal comment on the latest statement.
6 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu offers Likud MKs specific reserved list slots amid infighting
- DevelopingNetanyahu threatens to quit Likud unless granted 10 reserved Knesset slots
- DevelopingLikud Minister Regev: Netanyahu's demands to party will be heard, primaries to be held
- DevelopingSenior Likud figure says Netanyahu 'serious' about arranging committee, will decide in days
Source and signal
- Internal intake