Likud Constitution Committee weighs reserving 8-10 slate slots for Netanyahu picks
Published
The Likud Constitution Committee is weighing whether to grant Prime Minister Netanyahu authority to reserve 8-10 spots on the 26th-Knesset Likud slate, three of them inside the top ten; some reporting puts the current ask at eight or nine, after Netanyahu's earlier May proposal of up to ten. The proposal follows Netanyahu's retreat from replacing primaries with a selection committee, preserving the open primary system while ensuring senior unity figures including FM Gideon Sa'ar and former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon land in winnable positions on the list. Likud primaries are now scheduled no later than 28 July, with Netanyahu guaranteed the top spot, ahead of the general election on 27 October 2026.
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Sources
Difference in reporting
Sources factually disagree on the exact slot count being weighed by the Likud Constitution Committee. Jerusalem Post reports 10 reserved slots; Kan reports 8 to 9; Times of Israel splits the range at 8 to 10. The discrepancy reflects an active and still-evolving negotiation rather than reporting errors, the slot count was being adjusted in real time as the committee deliberated. The remaining facts are uniform across all sources: the then-July 28 primaries deadline, Netanyahu's guaranteed top spot, and the preservation of the open primary system after Netanyahu retreated from a selection-committee proposal.
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