"The Katzes" and Sa'ar are in: Likud court approves Netanyahu's reserved spots

The Likud court approved this morning (Wednesday) the reserved spots granted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to three senior movement members: ministers Gideon Sa'ar, Israel Katz, and Haim Katz. The court ruled that Netanyahu is authorized to designate reserved spots before the primaries are held and that there is no need to wait for the results to make such a reservation.

Regarding Haim Katz, the president of the court, attorney Michael Kleiner, ruled that "the placement of a successful minister and an experienced Knesset member who has proven his loyalty to the party" is preferable to a candidate brought into the list from the outside. In other words, the president not only legally approved the reservation but also provided a substantive justification for the choice of Katz. This follows significant criticism within the movement regarding the placement of Katz for a reserved spot, which many claimed lacked real justification.

Regarding Defense Minister Israel Katz, who was reserved not as part of Netanyahu's reserved spots quota but out of a desire to free up his time due to "national security considerations," it was determined that the reservation bypassed party bylaws, as Netanyahu submitted the request confidentially without informing the voting public.