Likud approves expanding Netanyahu’s control over party list, allowing him to secure top slots

The Likud Central Committee approved a proposal on Monday night to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authority over eight slots within the first 30 positions on the party's Knesset list. This decision, made ahead of internal primaries for the upcoming elections, significantly expands Netanyahu's control over the list. The vote, which saw a 72% turnout among over 4,000 eligible committee members, followed intense internal debate and lobbying efforts from both supporters and opponents of the changes. Senior Likud MK David Bitan urged members to vote against the proposals, while several ministers, including Miri Regev, expressed support, with Regev stating, "We will stand by the prime minister. We will strengthen the prime prime minister." This move comes after the Likud's internal court rejected an earlier Netanyahu-backed provision to cancel primaries in a security escalation, ruling that "The Likud is not a party of one man, and it will lose its vitality if it becomes one."