High-profile case8/11/2026

Likud Court Upholds Reserved Slot for Yisrael Katz on Party List

The Likud Party Court ruled that a slot must be reserved for Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on the party’s Knesset candidate list. The party secretariat must also discuss the inclusion of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and party convention chairman Haim Katz, although the source does not state that the court separately approved their candidacies.

Key facts

•Body: Likud Party Court
•Publication date: August 11, 2026
•A slot was reserved for Yisrael Katz on the list
•The secretariat must discuss the candidacies of three ministers
•Netanyahu was permitted to reserve eight slots
•Neither a case number nor the exact slot numbers on the list was provided

What the Party Decided

Likud announced that a proposal would be submitted to the party secretariat to approve slots for Yisrael Katz, Gideon Sa’ar, and Haim Katz on the party list. Regarding the defense minister, the party court ruled that a slot must be reserved for him because he was expected in any event to occupy a position near the top of the list. This is intended to allow him to focus on security matters rather than party politics.

Why Sa’ar and Haim Katz Are Being Included

According to the secretariat’s announcement, Gideon Sa’ar is slated to receive a slot under an agreement to merge his party with Likud. Haim Katz is slated to be included on the list because of his position as chairman of the Likud convention. The source does not specify the exact slots for the three.

The Dispute Over Primary Election Rules

A week earlier, the Likud Court rejected the primary election formula drafted by Haim Katz together with Benjamin Netanyahu. The court ruled that serving ministers and Knesset members would not be able to run in regional districts, and that those wishing to compete for slots with guaranteed representation, including for women and minorities, must resign from the Knesset immediately. The formula had previously been approved by the Likud convention as a compromise, under which Netanyahu was given the option of reserving eight slots for candidates of his choice.

What this means for you

The decision concerns the internal rules for forming the Likud list, not the appointment of ministers or the allocation of seats in the Knesset. For participants in the party primaries, it means restrictions on serving ministers and Knesset members running in regional districts and under special quotas. For the average voter, the practical impact will become clear once the party’s final candidate list is approved.

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Case analysis based on court rulings