[69905] The battle for the list: Netanyahu promotes changes to the Likud primaries amidst internal opposition

The Likud prepares for dramatic changes to the list's structure

According to a report by Amir Ettinger and Yuval Segev, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to set new rules ahead of the Likud primaries. In a meeting held recently with senior party officials, including Minister Haim Katz, Minister Yariv Levin, and MK David Bitan, Netanyahu presented his desire for far-reaching structural changes with the goal of tightening his control over the party's list for the Knesset.

The demand for reserved spots

Netanyahu wants to secure ten personal reserved spots for himself, a move intended to allow him political flexibility, including "one for Gideon Sa'ar and one that he might have to sacrifice for a Smotrich-Ben Gvir union." According to the report in no_politix, the initiative is meeting with much opposition within Likud. While MK Bitan suggested a compromise of only one reserved spot in every ten (3-4 reserved spots in total in realistic places), the prevailing assessment is that the event will end in a "compromise of 6 reserved spots in realistic places."

The struggle over the power of the districts

In addition to the reserved spots, Amir Ettinger and Yuval Segev report that Netanyahu is seeking to "push aside the districts and the representation guarantees" and even cancel some of them, in order to increase the national list at the expense of regional representatives. Politics Updates join the report indicating that the move is causing "major unrest" among Likud members. While figures such as Haim Katz and David Bitan may derive personal benefit from changing the selection method, the party is preparing for a deep internal struggle that is expected to end, according to the sources, in a compromise that will attempt to satisfy all parties.