Likud Constitution Committee postpones primaries to August 4; slate rules due Thursday

The Likud Constitution Committee voted unanimously on Sunday to postpone the party's 26th-Knesset primaries from July 28 to August 4, and pushed the voter-registry deadline from July 7 to July 10. The committee declined to make a final ruling on Prime Minister Netanyahu's request for authority to reserve 8 to 10 slots on the slate, including three inside the top ten, deferring the decision to a fresh set of primary rules scheduled to be released Thursday. The postponement was billed as procedural, ensuring proper time to onboard new members and finalize an orderly nomination process ahead of the October 27 general election. Netanyahu is guaranteed the top spot regardless of how the reserved-slot question is resolved.