Drama in Likud: Court halts Haim Katz's reserved spot; Israel Katz and Gideon Sa'ar spots approved
The party's internal court ordered a freeze on the vote to place Minister Haim Katz on the list, ruling that the claims against him are "worthy of investigation." Conversely, the secretariat approved the reserved spot for Gideon Sa'ar as part of the merger agreement, and the spot for Defense Minister Israel Katz—citing "national security" and a classified request presented by Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Likud court blocked today (Tuesday) the move to reserve a spot for Minister and Likud Central Committee Chairman Haim Katz on the party's list for the next Knesset. The decision stated that the claims raised in the petition against the reservation are "worthy of investigation," and therefore the vote regarding him will not take place at this stage—pending another decision by the party's judicial bodies.
At the heart of the petition is the claim that Katz is in a conflict of interest due to his roles in Likud institutions, primarily his role as Chairman of the party's Central Committee. The court did not rule on the claim at this stage, but determined that it justifies an investigation—thereby halting the vote on his reservation.
The intervention comes hours after Likud's late-night announcement that the party secretariat would be asked to approve the reservation of three senior officials: Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Haim Katz.
Sa'ar and Israel Katz approved - Haim Katz blocked
While the move regarding Haim Katz was halted, the Likud secretariat continued to discuss the other two reservations and approved them. Sa'ar's reservation was approved by virtue of the merger agreement between Likud and his party, New Hope (HaYamin HaMamlahti).
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Defense Minister Israel Katz's reservation at the top of the list was also approved. In his case, the court did not intervene in the move, after the reservation was approved following "security reasons" presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the background stands a separate and classified decision of the court, which was reached following a special request by Netanyahu.
The move sparked sharp criticism within Likud even before the vote. A senior party official claimed that the purpose of the reservations is to "lock the top" and reduce the number of spots open for competition in the primaries, among other things to reduce the possibility that MK Tali Gottlieb would integrate into a high place on the list.
According to that official, "Netanyahu is effectively shaping the entire top ten of the Likud list even before he has realized the rest of the reservations that were approved for him." Other sources in the party criticized the fact that expanding the number of reservations reduces the space for competition for incumbent MKs and primary candidates.
According to estimates in Likud, the reservations for Sa'ar, Israel Katz, and Haim Katz are intended to join eight reservations that will be at Netanyahu's disposal and the reservation for Michel Bouskila as part of the merger with New Hope. The implication is that the number of realistic spots that will remain open for competition in the primaries is expected to shrink significantly.
