Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday presented the candidates he selected to have reserved slots on the Likud’s Knesset slate, near the evening deadline to submit lists for the October elections.
Netanyahu said the elections will decide between a “strong right-wing government led by me – or a weak left-wing government led by [Yashar Party leader Gadi] Eisenkot and the Arabs.”
The prime minister had pushed to expand his control over the party’s Knesset slate, despite fierce internal tensions over changes to the traditional primary process. Last month, the Likud Central Committee granted him the authority to select eight candidates for reserved slots within the first 30 positions on the list. In the August primaries, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen received the second slot on the list after Netanyahu.
The ninth slot was given to Talik Gvili, mother of fallen soldier and slain Gaza hostage Ran Gvili.
Gvili was killed by a Hamas terrorist on October 7, and his remains were taken into the enclave. He was the final hostage remaining there before his remains were retrieved to Israel for burial in January.
Likud officials say ‘flawed procedure has taken root’ within party
Later in the day, Likud also added Channel 14 commentator and Netanyahu’s confidant Yaakov Bardugo, who received the 11th slot.
The party also announced it would reserve a slot for Elisha Medan, a reservist who was seriously wounded in the Gaza Strip and lost both legs, in the 15th slot.
Attorney David Peter, who represented the government and some of its ministers, will receive the 16th slot on the list.
Peter represented Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as representing the government in its battle with the High Court of Justice over the closure of Army Radio.
Former Labor MK Eli Goldschmidt, who served in the Knesset from 1992 to 2001, was given the 26th slot.
The 29th slot went to Itzik Bonsel, father of the late Sgt.-Maj. Amit Bonsel, who was killed in combat during the Israel-Hamas war.
A slot had also been reserved for Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, founder of the Bithonistim (Israel Defense and Security Forum). Avivi, who is also a frequent panelist on Channel 14’s Patriots, was given the 35th slot.
However, later in the day, Avivi resigned from the list, reportedly unsatisfied with the low rung.
Open voting or secret ballots could affect the outcome
The candidates’ announcements came near the 10 p.m. deadline for parties to submit their lists for the elections.
Likud has for years prided itself on conducting primaries in which its registered members are eligible to vote for the Knesset list. Netanyahu pushed to change the system in recent weeks ahead of the primaries, leading to an especially competitive race with even fewer slots available than usual.
Likud has recently polled at around 20 seats, meaning candidates placed within roughly the top 20 spots on the party’s slate would have the most realistic chance of entering the Knesset.
The Likud secretariat approved Netanyahu’s selections for the list in the afternoon.
In August, Netanyahu already had reserved slots for three ministers: Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and Likud Central Committee chairman Haim Katz, who also holds multiple ministerial portfolios.
Eisenkot, who has been beating Netanyahu’s party in most polls, sharply criticized his reserved slots.
“Reserving spots on the Likud list for Netanyahu’s mouthpieces is nothing less than a distribution of spoils and a reward for blind loyalty,” he said on Tuesday.
He called it a prize for those who have turned “division, incitement, and a culture of lies into everyday tools in Netanyahu’s personal service.”
“The currency that matters is not public service, integrity, or Israel’s security, but the degree of devotion and willingness to deepen the rift in Israeli society and strengthen the leader at any cost.”
Anna Barsky contributed to this report.
