Highly competitive Likud primaries set as Netanyahu holds expanded control over Knesset slate

Likud's highly competitive primaries are set for Monday, with over 140,000 registered members voting to determine the party's Knesset slate. The primaries are marked by internal tensions due to recent changes that have expanded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's control over the list, allowing him to determine eight slots within the top 30. Netanyahu stated he would vote "for a winning slate" but claimed he was "not interfering in the national list." Critics, like MK Tally Gotliv, have condemned the reservation of slots for ministers, calling it "a disgraceful move that mocks Likud voters." Conversely, MK Amit Halevi described the primaries as "a democratic celebration." The vote occurs as polls project Likud winning fewer seats than its current representation, intensifying the competition for available spots.