Netanyahu pushes to have 3 senior ministers bypass Likud primaries amid battle over slate control

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to seek approval from the Likud Secretariat to guarantee Knesset slate positions for Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and Minister Haim Katz. This move, announced late Monday, comes amidst an intense internal battle among Likud ministers and lawmakers over their placement on the party's slate for the upcoming election. Netanyahu already has eight reserved slots, and the central question is whether these three ministers will occupy some of those slots or if Netanyahu is seeking three additional guaranteed positions. The Likud's official statement indicated these placements would be "alongside the prime minister’s reserved slots" and "in addition to the new reserved candidates the prime minister is expected to bring," suggesting they may be additional to his existing quota. The decision to reserve a spot for Israel Katz was particularly surprising, with the Likud tribunal ruling it would allow him to focus on security. Sa’ar's placement is due to a merger agreement, and Haim Katz's due to his role as chairman of the Likud Central Committee. This proposal is expected to intensify tensions within Likud by further reducing the number of realistic primary-contested slots.