'This is a democratic party’: Likud lawmaker challenges Netanyahu’s plan to scrap primary

Likud lawmaker David Bitan challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to replace the party's primary system with a more centralized method for selecting Knesset candidates. Bitan proposed an alternative that would maintain full party primaries while granting Netanyahu five reserved slots on the candidate list, including three in the top 30. He emphasized, "Likud is a democratic party, and its candidates should be chosen democratically." Netanyahu's main proposal would divide candidate selection into three equal parts: primaries, an appointments committee, and prime ministerial determination. Bitan argued against moving to an appointments committee, stating, "We are fighting over the character of Likud for years to come." This dispute highlights growing internal tension within Likud ahead of the expected Knesset dissolution.