Likud Court Issues Ultimatum to Netanyahu Over Reserved Knesset Slots

Court Issues Ultimatum to Netanyahu

The Likud Supreme Court issued a sharp ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, ordering him to immediately publish his list of reserved spots (secured slots) on the party list or risk a secret ballot that could derail his choices.

The ruling, delivered by Judge Advocate Yitzhak Bam, ordered Netanyahu to submit the complete proposal, including the names of all reserved candidates, to the Likud Secretariat by 9:00 PM, just two hours after the decision was handed down.

Judge Bam ruled that a last-minute publication would be considered an "unacceptable grab" and would constitute "implied consent to a secret ballot in the Secretariat," bypassing the standard requirement of gathering signatures from 10% of the Secretariat members.

Bitan's Petition and the Transparency Battle

The dramatic decision follows a petition filed by MK David Bitan, who protested that Netanyahu had not yet published the names of his candidates. This delay violated a previous court ruling requiring the names to be disclosed at least 48 hours before the Secretariat vote. Bitan demanded the complete cancellation of the reserved slots, including the slot secured for Defense Minister Israel Katz, claiming it exceeded the approved quota.

While the court rejected the demand to cancel Katz's slot due to prior legal rulings on the matter, it fully accepted Bitan's demand for transparency. Judge Bam rejected the party's claim that "extreme political constraints" justified hiding the names, emphasizing that the 48-hour window was specifically designed to allow Secretariat members to consider their positions and prepare for a secret ballot if they deemed it necessary.

Representation Gaps in the Likud List

As the deadline for submitting Knesset lists approaches, Likud is facing a notable lack of representation for several sectors historically aligned with the party. While other parties offer clear representation for these groups, Likud currently lacks prominent representatives in realistic spots for religious Zionists, Judea and Samaria settlers, and IDF reservists.

This gap raises significant questions about how Netanyahu will utilize his reserved slots to appeal to the movement's traditional electorate. In addition to these three sectors, there are two other prominent gaps on the list that currently lack realistic representation: Ethiopian Israelis and immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Earlier on Monday, reports emerged that due to internal pressure within Likud, Netanyahu is considering moving his two top reserved slots—originally set at 3rd and 9th on the list—to lower positions in the second ten. This move is being considered to appease party members who want to minimize the impact on candidates elected in the primaries. However, no final decision has been made, and any change to the slots will require approval from party institutions.