Likud to Reserve Spots for Sa'ar, Israel Katz, and Haim Katz

The Likud party published a late-night announcement on Tuesday stating that the party secretariat will be asked to approve the placement of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Likud Central Committee Chairman, Minister Haim Katz, on the list for the next Knesset.

The placement of these three will be approved alongside the reserved spots available to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including new candidates he is expected to bring to the list.

The Likud party court ruled last week that Israel Katz must be reserved a spot on the list to allow him to focus on security needs and not engage in politics during this period. According to the party's announcement, Katz was expected to be integrated into the top of the list regardless.

The decision comes against the backdrop of the intensification of Katz's political campaign ahead of the Likud primaries to be held next week. Yesterday, Katz published another video aimed at party members. The main message Katz seeks to convey in the video is:

"Israel is not returning to old concepts - Israel initiates, attacks, and decides."

The publication of the video follows an official clip that Katz released just last week. In that previous video, he presented himself as a "right-wing Defense Minister" and boasted of the policy he pursued, including his refusal to sign administrative detention orders against settlers in Judea and Samaria.

Sa'ar will be placed as part of the merger agreement between his party and Likud, while Haim Katz will be reserved a spot by virtue of his position as Chairman of the party's Central Committee.