Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly working to secure places for Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon among the top ten positions on the Likud party list, according to Kan News citing party insiders.
Netanyahu is also said to be allocating a slot for Haim Bibas—chairman of the Center for Local Government and mayor of Modi’in‑Maccabim‑Re’ut—though his position would be further down the list.
Likud sources told Kan that the prime minister aims to guarantee eight or nine candidates overall, with three of them placed within the top ten.
In addition, reports indicate that Netanyahu recently approached IDF soldier Ari Spitz, who was severely injured in Gaza, losing both legs and an arm, and who lit a torch at this year’s Independence Day ceremony, with an invitation to join the list.
Likud to convene Wednesday to debate the party’s future and primary system
The Likud party will meet on Wednesday to discuss its strategic direction and consider replacing the current primary system with a “selection committee” approach.
The session will be attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu, party secretary Haim Katz, and other senior party officials.
Party insiders say there is mounting pressure on the leadership to reach a decision quickly, as frustration grows over the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the party’s political roadmap.
While some advocate canceling the primaries, legal and internal hurdles make that option increasingly improbable.
In private conversations, the prime minister noted broad agreement within Likud that the party list needs renewal. He cautioned that a small number of reserved slots would not deliver the substantive change the party requires.
Netanyahu argued that no single candidate can attract voters on their own, and that a substantial influx of new figures is essential to politically reshape Likud and signal genuine revitalization.
Primaries hailed as the “heartbeat” of the Likud movement
“The primary system is not merely a procedural tool; it is the beating heart of the Likud movement,” Netivot Mayor Yehiel Zohar told Walla.
He added that primaries are the sole mechanism that guarantees representation for districts, women, peripheral communities, and various sectors that consider Likud their political home.
While Zohar supports the concept of specific reserved slots on the list, he warned that moving from that to outright cancellation of primaries would be “a huge leap.”
He explained that a limited number of reserved positions, approved by party institutions, can serve as a legitimate tool to fine‑tune the list for balance and diversity.
“But this tool must complement grassroots selection, not replace it. Likud’s strength lies in the power of the people’s choice, not in lists crafted behind closed doors,” he emphasized.
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