Full Breakdown
Likud Approves Reserved List Spots for Israel Katz and Gideon Sa’ar
8/12/2026, 7:52:49 AM
Core Decision and Reserved Slots
The Likud secretariat confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to give Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Defense Minister Israel Katz guaranteed positions on the party’s electoral slate ahead of the August 17 primary. Together with the eight slots Netanyahu may allocate, the two reserved placements bring the total of hand-picked candidates to ten of the first twenty-nine spots that party members—about 140,000 registered voters—will otherwise elect. An internal Likud court subsequently froze a vote on granting a similar reserved spot to Central Committee chair Haim Katz, citing a potential conflict of interest because he is running in the same primary.
Background and Internal Court Rulings
The move follows a series of internal disputes. The same tribunal halted a vote that would have allowed sitting ministers and former MKs to compete for district-reserved slots, a practice traditionally reserved for new legislators. In parallel, Netanyahu approved a shortening of party-membership length to enable Ze’ev Elkin of Sa’ar’s New Hope party and former Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen to run in the primary.
Official Party Position
Likud officials argue the reserved spots are needed for security reasons.
Criticism from Party Members
The decision sparked sharp rebuke from Likud MK Tally Gotliv, who posted on X/Twitter that the move “mocks Likud voters.” He added:
- “As the saying goes in Katz's primary video: 'Boom boom boom,'” — Tally Gotliv
Data and Electoral Outlook
According to public opinion polls, Likud is projected to win roughly 22-24 seats in the October 27 election, down from its current 32 seats. With ten of the first twenty-nine list positions now pre-assigned, the party’s internal dynamics and its appeal to moderate right-wing and swing voters remain a focal point of the upcoming primary.
