Netanyahu Selects Key Candidates for Likud Election Primaries

Benjamin Netanyahu has utilized his authority as leader of the Likud Party to personally select several candidates for the party's list in the upcoming general elections. Under the party's internal system, the prime minister reserves eight seats for his role as leader and an additional three through specific political deals.

Among those granted uncontested spots are Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who joined Likud following the March 2025 merger of his New Hope party, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and Likud Constitution Committee Chair Haim Katz. Netanyahu also nominated tech entrepreneur Oren Dobronsky to lead artificial intelligence initiatives across the economy, healthcare, education, and finance sectors if the party is elected.

These primaries are critical for Likud as it attempts to maintain its influence within the 120-member Knesset. Because seats are allocated based on the party's share of the proportional representation vote, the composition of the candidate list is a central factor in the party's electoral strategy.