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🇮🇱 Israel /Elections & Politics

Likud committee grants Netanyahu more control over party list

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Likud Central Committee voted to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expanded authority over the party's Knesset list ahead of internal primaries.
  • Netanyahu will now be able to determine eight slots within the top 30 positions, a significant shift from the party's traditional primary system.
  • The changes have caused internal tensions, with some members opposing the move, while senior figures released videos supporting Netanyahu's proposal.

The Likud Central Committee has voted to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu significant new powers over the party's Knesset list. The decision allows Netanyahu to personally select eight candidates within the top 30 spots on the list for the upcoming primaries, a move that alters the party's long-standing tradition of member-driven elections.

This shift grants the premier expanded control ahead of the August 17 primaries. The vote by the Central Committee, comprising over 4,000 members, comes after Netanyahu pushed for changes to the system in recent weeks. The move has ignited fierce internal debate, with some party members strongly opposing the concentration of power.

We will stand by the prime minister. We will strengthen the prime minister.

— Miri RegevTransportation Minister Miri Regev stated her support for Netanyahu's proposed changes in a filmed clip.

Senior Likud MK David Bitan publicly urged members to vote against the proposals, highlighting the internal divisions. Despite this opposition, numerous ministers and MKs, including Defense Minister Israel Katz and Transportation Minister Miri Regev, released videos expressing their support for Netanyahu's plan. Regev stated in her video, "We will stand by the prime minister. We will strengthen the prime minister."

The vote proceeded despite a recent ruling by Likud's top internal court. The court rejected a separate Netanyahu-backed proposal that would have allowed the cancellation of primaries in case of security escalation, emphasizing that internal elections are a constitutional obligation. "The Likud is not a party of one man, and it will lose its vitality if it becomes one," the court stated in its ruling.

The Likud is not a party of one man, and it will lose its vitality if it becomes one.

— Likud internal courtThe three-member panel wrote this in a ruling rejecting a proposal to cancel primaries in case of security escalation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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