Chaos in Likud primaries: who wins and who loses
A scandal is brewing in Likud over the primaries: Netanyahu reserved spots in the list for two Katzs—the defense minister and the Likud Center chairman—on Tuesday night, sparking accusations of manipulating the democratic process. Candidates are outraged but silent, fearing consequences. The only open critic is MK David Bitan, against whom a smear machine has been launched. Lawsuits could be filed in courts, potentially derailing the primaries.
A scandal is brewing in Likud over the primaries. On Tuesday night, August 11, at 1:13 AM, a party representative announced that Netanyahu had decided to reserve spots in the electoral list for Defense Minister Israel Katz and Likud Center Chairman Haim Katz. This decision, made without elections, by the leader's grace, sparked accusations of manipulating the democratic process. The two Katzs receive high spots in the list, allowing them to claim "heavy portfolios." Moreover, the reservation for Israel Katz is additional, beyond the eight reservations approved by the Center, and requires approval from the secretariat, which Israel Katz himself heads. Similarly, Netanyahu's personal reservations, including the one for Haim Katz, must be approved by the Likud Center, which Haim Katz heads. This creates a clear conflict of interest. Candidates running campaigns are outraged but prefer to remain silent, fearing consequences. The only one who openly opposed is MK David Bitan, against whom, according to the author, a smear machine has been launched. Lawsuits could be filed with the party and Supreme Court, which could derail the primaries. The author calls what is happening a "political bloodbath" and a "ridiculous farce," emphasizing that the democratic procedure is turning into a tool of manipulation.