AI-written summary of reporting by The Jerusalem Post. No human editor reviewed this. AI can misread or omit facts — read the original, linked below.
ABSTRACT

More than 140,000 registered Likud members were set to vote Monday in the party's Knesset primaries, following weeks of internal disputes over rule changes that granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the authority to reserve eight positions within the first 30 slots on the party's candidate list.

The Jerusalem Post

Likud holds Knesset primaries Monday as over 140,000 members vote amid internal disputes over reserved slots

Aug 16, 2026, 5:43 PM

More than 140,000 registered Likud members were set to vote Monday in the party's Knesset primaries, following weeks of internal disputes over rule changes that granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the authority to reserve eight positions within the first 30 slots on the party's candidate list.

Context

The Likud Central Committee approved the reserved-slot arrangement last month in a vote described as controversial. There were reports that Netanyahu had threatened to leave Likud if the changes were not advanced. Netanyahu said on Sunday he would vote 'for a winning slate' and added: 'I trust you, Likud members, to choose your representatives correctly, according to your own judgment. I am not interfering in the national list, and I wish everyone success.'

Netanyahu subsequently assigned reserved slots to entrepreneur and businessman Oren Dobronsky and to three ministers: Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and Likud Central Committee Chairman Haim Katz, who also holds multiple ministerial portfolios. The party's internal court ruled that Katz should receive a reserved slot to 'allow him to focus on security needs rather than engage in politics at this time.' The party stated that Sa'ar's slot was part of the merger agreement between his former party, New Hope-United Right, and Likud, and that the Central Committee chairperson's slot was tied to his senior party position. Sa'ar had announced in 2025 that his party would merge with Likud; he previously resigned from Likud in 2020, at the time criticizing Netanyahu.

The Tel Aviv District Court on Monday rejected Likud MK Afif Abed's attempt to restore a narrowly approved change that would have allowed current and former MKs, ministers, and deputy ministers to run in the party's district primaries, leaving existing restrictions in place ahead of the vote.

The primaries take place ahead of general elections scheduled for October 27. The contest is especially competitive because Likud currently has around 40 ministers and MKs in the government and Knesset, but recent polls project the party winning only about 22 seats, leaving many at risk of losing their places on the slate. An internal Likud poll released on Sunday projected MK Tally Gotliv, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and Transportation Minister Miri Regev to rank among the top candidates.

The Likud slate is determined by combining nationally elected candidates chosen by registered members, candidates elected from geographic districts, positions guaranteeing representation for women, immigrants, young members, and minorities, and slots reserved by the party chairman. In the 2022 primaries, nationally elected candidates filled most positions immediately after the party chairman, with district and guaranteed-representation slots inserted farther down.

All Perspectives
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Netanyahu stated he would vote 'for a winning slate' and said: 'I trust you, Likud members, to choose your representatives correctly, according to your own judgment. I am not interfering in the national list, and I wish everyone success.'
MK Tally Gotliv (critic of reserved slots): Gotliv sharply criticized the decision to grant the defense minister a reserved slot, calling it 'a disgraceful move that mocks Likud voters, who understand one thing more than all the veteran ministers: the need to fight the legal establishment that is persecuting the right-wing government and right-wing figures.' She is described as a candidate viewed as likely to receive broad support from registered party members.
MK Amit Halevi (supporter of reserved slots): Halevi told The Jerusalem Post that the primaries 'will be a democratic celebration in the Likud,' saying: 'I wish more parties conducted themselves democratically like the Likud. Some 140,000 members, active, engaged citizens who make their voices heard and have an influence, will go to the polls tomorrow.' He added: 'I am confident that Likud members will vote correctly for the sake of the country. The war exposed the many ills in the country's systems, particularly the legal and security systems, which require fundamental reform. We will make those changes.'
Opponents of changing the primaries system (unnamed): Those within the party who oppose changing the primaries have argued that it will cause candidates who would otherwise score highly in the primaries to fall further down the list.
Likud party (on reserved ministerial slots): The party said its internal court ruled that Defense Minister Israel Katz should receive a reserved slot to 'allow him to focus on security needs rather than engage in politics at this time,' that Sa'ar would receive a slot as part of the merger agreement with his former party, and that the Central Committee chairperson would receive a slot due to his senior position in the party.
Position not represented in the source reporting: Israel Katz (Defense Minister, granted a reserved slot but not quoted or given a chance to respond); Gideon Sa'ar (Foreign Minister, granted a reserved slot but not quoted or given a chance to respond); Haim Katz (Central Committee Chairman, granted a reserved slot but not quoted or given a chance to respond); Oren Dobronsky (first announced reserved-slot recipient, not quoted or given a chance to respond).
Gaps & Unknowns
  • The source does not state the total number of candidates competing in the national list portion of the primaries.
  • The source does not identify which of the remaining reserved slots beyond the four announced have been assigned or left open.
  • The source does not state the total number of Likud registered members eligible to vote, beyond the figure of more than 140,000 who were set to participate.
  • The source does not provide a response from Defense Minister Israel Katz or Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar regarding the reserved slots granted to them.
  • The source does not state how many reserved slots Netanyahu was granted in previous election cycles for comparison beyond a general reference to the 2022 primaries.
  • The source does not specify which court or body Abed appealed to before the Tel Aviv District Court, or the procedural history of that case.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. The Jerusalem Post — original

Read the original at The Jerusalem Post

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