USA · 08 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Netanyahu Misses Likud Deadline To Publish Reserved-Slots Proposal Before Knesset Election
Likud misses 9:00 p.m. deadline to publish reserved-slots proposal; submission planned Tuesday morning. Likud legal adviser to explain why a secret ballot should not be held without signatures.
Whether the issue is court process or Netanyahu’s withholding.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: likud’s internal court deadline passed and legal adviser may need to explain an implied secret ballot.
ynetglobal was read line by line by the Watchdog: 8.9. See the score →
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The Jerusalem Post
“the movement’s legal adviser would be required to explain why this should not be viewed as implied consent”Read the original ↗
Ynetnews
“Netanyahu has delayed announcing those candidates despite a deadline imposed by Likud’s internal court”Read the original ↗
The Jerusalem Post spotlights court procedure after a petition, while Ynetnews frames it as Netanyahu withholding reserved-slot decisions.
Likud slate dispute
Israel’s Likud party missed an internal-court deadline to publish its reserved-slots proposal, after the party’s top internal court ruled it must deliver the proposal for reserved slots to members of its secretariat by 9:00 p.m. Monday.
“the deadline passed without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud's chairman, publishing the list”
The Jerusalem Post reported that the deadline passed without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publishing the list, and said the Likud legal adviser would be required to explain why a secret ballot should not be held without collecting signatures.T
The dispute was tied to MK David Bitan’s petition challenging the reserved slot for Defense Minister Israel Katz, with the court warning that publishing the proposal shortly before the vote “could be interpreted as an improper fait accompli.”
Netanyahu later said the slate would be submitted by Tuesday morning, which he claimed would leave enough time for review before the 10:00 p.m. deadline, while the court said the 48-hour period was intended to allow members of the secretariat to consider the matter.
In parallel, Ynetnews said the first day of filing ended and that by 10 p.m. YTuesday—midnight if the chairman of the Central Elections Committee extends the deadline—the final makeup of party slates competing in the 2026 election should become clear.
No mergers, last-minute moves
The Times of Israel said speculation of further shakeup faded Monday night as most parties submitted their final slates for next month’s election, confirming they will each run alone and leaving “No last-minute mergers.”
It reported that the biggest question mark concerned Likud, expected to submit its slate on Tuesday hours before the deadline, while Yashar and B’Yachad submitted their rosters on Monday and Sunday respectively.
The Times of Israel also described how the separate Yashar and B’Yachad submissions ruled out any possibility of the two parties joining, and said that if they had, they would have “almost certainly been the top vote-getter by a considerable margin.”
Ynetnews said Netanyahu delayed announcing reserved-slot candidates despite a deadline imposed by Likud’s internal court, and reported that a Likud Secretariat meeting expected to approve reserved slots scheduled for 11 a.m. YTuesday was postponed to 2 p.m.
Ynetnews further reported that at least one party was forced only Monday to announce the replacement of a senior candidate, as it described ongoing uncertainty ahead of the filing deadline. Y
Parties scramble for seats
Beyond Likud’s internal process, Ynetnews said United Torah Judaism underwent a shake-up with longtime party chairman Moshe Gafni unexpectedly ousted Sunday and lawmaker Yaakov Asher named to replace him.Y
“Longtime party chairman Moshe Gafni was unexpectedly ousted Sunday”
It added that on the Agudat Yisrael side veteran lawmaker Yisrael Eichler would give up his place to Elyakim Stark, and that Shas chairman Arye Deri convened the Sephardic Haredi party’s Council of Torah Sages on Sunday to discuss the composition of its Knesset slate.
Ynetnews also said the revived Joint List slate had yet to be announced, noting that Jaafar Farah withdrew from a No. Y4 position amid allegations of sexual harassment and that Hadash would choose his replacement Tuesday.
Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported that the far-right Religious Zionism party announced a merger with far-right ex-lawmaker Moshe Feiglin, but also said Netanyahu pushed for it to merge with Otzma Yehudit or with People of Israel led by Ofer Winter, efforts that “fell flat.”
The Times of Israel said that Yashar’s slate placed former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen in the second spot, while it described the top six spots as including multiple former Blue and White figures, as the election landscape remained in flux before final submissions.