Likud Weighs Compromise on Primaries and Reserved Spots

Senior Likud officials are discussing a possible compromise over the party’s Knesset list ahead of the next election, including changes that could affect ministers and sitting MKs seeking regional slots.

The talks come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks broad authority to reserve places on the Likud list, while some party figures are considering a more dramatic move: canceling the primaries and transferring control over the list to a special committee.

According to a Walla report, the idea was raised during internal discussions over the number of reserved spots Netanyahu wants. The proposal has since gained traction among senior figures in the party.

A source who attended a meeting between Netanyahu and Likud mayors said the prime minister currently believes the chances of the move passing are around 50-50. If approved, the plan could allow the party to reshape its list and potentially replace as many as eight current MKs.

Likud officials are also considering softer language for the proposal. Instead of calling the body a “selection committee,” the party may refer to it as an “advisory committee.” But senior figures acknowledge that the core question remains unchanged: whether the Likud list will be chosen by party members or by party leadership.

Netanyahu is reportedly working to reach understandings with major power centers inside the party, including ministers Haim Katz and Israel Katz, MK David Bitan and Minister Miki Zohar. Likud officials believe opposition to the move may be limited if those figures receive assurances that their political standing and allies will not be harmed.

At the same time, the party is examining possible rule changes in case primaries are held as planned. One option under discussion would allow sitting female MKs who are not ministers to run in regional district slots. Such a move could help MK Eti Atiya, who is considered close to Haim Katz.

Another name raised in the report is Minister Idit Silman, who is currently not serving as an MK because of the Norwegian Law. According to the report, Silman had examined the possibility of resigning from the government in order to run in the Shfela district if the proposed changes are approved. Silman denied the report and told Walla that she will run as usual in the primaries.

Haim Katz’s office also denied the claims connected to him, saying: “There is no truth to the claim. It never happened.”

Likud officials expect a decision in the coming days on whether the party will hold primaries as planned or move toward an alternative system for forming its next Knesset list.