Late-Night Likud Shakeup: Netanyahu to Reserve Spots for Three Senior Ministers

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced in the early morning hours that he will reserve places on the Likud electoral slate for Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, and Likud Central Committee Chairman Chaim Katz. The decision, announced after midnight, requires formal approval from the party's secretariat.

The announcement came hours after Likud revealed that businessman Oren Dobronsky would receive Netanyahu's first reserved slot at 11th on the party's list. Dobronsky, founder of a Silicon Valley hummus restaurant chain and known for his appearance on the Israeli version of Shark Tank, is expected to spearhead artificial intelligence policy should Likud remain in power after the election.

According to a Likud statement, the party's internal court had ruled the previous week that Defense Minister Yisrael Katz should receive a reserved place on the list. "The movement's court ruled last week that the defense minister, who in any event was expected to finish near the top of the list, should receive a reserved position so that he can focus on the country's security needs rather than political activity at this time," The statement said.

The party explained that Sa'ar will be placed on the list under the terms of the merger agreement between his party and Likud, while Chaim Katz will receive a reserved position because of his role as chairman of the party's Central Committee.

Likud sources indicated that Yisrael Katz is expected to receive a reserved slot within the party's second group of candidates, while Chaim Katz is expected to be guaranteed a place no lower than 18th on the list. These three reserved positions are in addition to the eight slots Netanyahu already controls through the 30th spot on the Likud slate, located at numbers 3, 5, 9, 11, 15, 18, 26, and 29.