The Slotting Caused Hysteria

The Likud Central Committee approved a series of slots initiated by Netanyahu, including for Katz, Chaim Katz, and Sa'ar, after a poll showed them being pushed out. The decision passed by a six-vote majority (1,679 vs. 1,673). Netanyahu received ten slots up to the 30th place, four in the top ten. Bichar, Kahlon, and Bibas refused slots. Dobronski is designated for the 11th place. Criticism within Likud was harsh.

This week, the Likud Central Committee approved a series of slots on the party's list, initiated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a controversial move that drew sharp internal criticism. According to a poll by the 'Agam' Institute, Defense Minister Israel Katz was pushed to the 13th place (and with slots to the 19th), while Chaim Katz and Gideon Sa'ar were dropped from the list. Following this, the Likud spokesperson announced that Netanyahu had slotted all three. The decision was made after internal polls revealed their dire situation. The Likud court approved the request to slot Katz nine days before the announcement, but he continued to act as a candidate, including a tweet on August 10 to party members. In total, Netanyahu has ten slots up to the 30th place, four of them in the top ten. Criticism within Likud was harsh, with one source describing it as a 'crushing blow to Likud institutions.' In the Central Committee vote, 1,679 members supported the slots and 1,673 opposed. Netanyahu offered slots to Avidar Bichar, Moshe Kahlon, and Chaim Bibas, but all three refused. Oren Dobronski, a businessman, is designated for the 11th place. In polls giving Likud 23 seats, the slots occupy places up to the 29th, which could push representatives from the periphery out of the Knesset.