Likud to Vote Next Week on Netanyahu's 10 Reserved Slate Spots

Likud institutions are expected to vote next week on a proposal giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 10 reserved places on the party's Knesset slate, including eight inside the top 25. The emerging arrangement with Likud Central Committee chairman Haim Katz follows Netanyahu's visit to Katz's home as the party prepares for its August 4 primaries and July 7 voter-roll cutoff. A separate organizing-committee option could keep most current list members in place while allowing female MKs to compete in district slots. The fight matters because Likud's slate will decide how the national camp renews itself, protects its electoral base and reaches moderate-right voters before October's election.