Netanyahu and Katz on the Brink of a Rebellion in Likud - Assessment

Netanyahu is trying to reserve a place in the Likud list for Katz without primaries, causing an internal crisis in the party. Katz was preparing for the vote, but the procedure was initiated through the party court. Criticism of the minister over his actions.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to secure a place in the Likud list for Defense Minister Israel Katz without participating in the primaries scheduled for August 17. This decision has exacerbated internal divisions within the party. The procedure for reserving a place was initiated through the party court without public announcement, although Netanyahu's representatives informed Katz's circle about this about two weeks ago. Katz, nevertheless, actively prepared for the primaries: he met with activists, organized a team for social media promotion, and released two viral videos. In Netanyahu's appeal to the court, it is stated that Katz is fully occupied with security matters, so he should be included in the list without primaries. Katz also faced criticism for leaving a meeting of the military-political cabinet to attend the wedding of the son of the mayor of Kiryat Ata, and for political meetings in his office. Earlier, Netanyahu stated that the military situation could call into question the holding of primaries.