Pressure on Netanyahu mounts: the unusual move that could save Avi Dichter

Senior Likud officials are pressuring Netanyahu to use the 'slot reservation' clause to boost Avi Dichter to a realistic spot on the list, after he was pushed down in the primaries. The mechanism was approved before the vote, and the decision now rests with Netanyahu.

Senior Likud officials are increasing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use the 'slot reservation' clause approved before the primaries, in order to boost Minister Avi Dichter to a realistic spot on the list. Dichter, a former Shin Bet chief, was pushed out of the realistic range in the primary results, raising concern among senior officials due to fears that Likud would head into elections without a senior security figure in a realistic position, especially after Yoav Gallant's departure. The mechanism, approved by the Constitution Committee, allows Netanyahu to promote a candidate who ran in the primaries to a spot designated for one of the chairman's reserved slots. The clause was at the center of controversy before the vote, and petitions against it were filed with Likud's court, which were rejected. The court's president, Michael Kleiner, expressed principled support for preferring a candidate chosen in the primaries over a reserved slot. At this stage, the pressure focuses on Dichter, and the final decision is Netanyahu's.