MK Tali Gotliv is threatening not to run on the Likud list if the party does not hold democratic primaries, as an internal battle over the party’s election process intensifies ahead of an expected vote on proposed reforms.

“If there are no primaries, I will consider not running in the Likud,” Gotliv said, according to remarks quoted by Yehuda Schlesinger in a Walla report. She argued that Likud is “not a party of appointments, but a party of democratic voters,” adding that “the fact that people are afraid of finishing low in the primaries is not a reason to cancel the primaries.”

Her ultimatum comes as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to present a “Primaries Plus” proposal to the party’s Constitution Committee on Sunday. Under the reported plan, the party would still hold primaries, while increasing the number of reserved slots to nine or ten, reducing the number of district representatives from ten to six or seven, and moving district representatives to the 30th spot on the list and lower.

Beyond the political dispute, the prolonged delay in approving the party’s election process has also created financial pressure for Likud lawmakers and ministers. Under party rules, each MK and minister is eligible for approximately 380,000 shekels in Knesset campaign financing, but applications must be submitted no later than 20 days before the primary election.

If the primaries are held on August 4, as currently expected, the deadline to submit funding requests will fall this coming Wednesday. Any further delay in formally approving the election process could leave candidates without campaign funding, increasing pressure on party leaders to reach a decision.

According to the report, some party officials believe the financial pressure could ultimately force a decision, even if Netanyahu would prefer to continue delaying the process. Critics of the “Primaries Plus” proposal argue that expanding the number of reserved slots while reducing the influence of district representatives would give Netanyahu greater control over the composition of the party’s Knesset list.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)