Ayelet Shaked
Ayelet ShakedKobi Richter/TPS

Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear in recent talks with Likud members that he is not planning to secure Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked on the party's Knesset list in the upcoming elections, the Yediot Aharonot daily reported Sunday.

This is in spite of recent calls by a number of senior Likud officials for such a move, including former coalition chairman David Bitan and Likud Central Committee chairman Haim Katz.

According to the report, Netanyahu explained to his interlocutors that such a move would also require him to shorten the training period of Ayelet Shaked, even though she had not yet registered for the Likud, and also to secure her on the Likud list for the Knesset without primaries.

Sources in the Likud estimated that Netanyahu's opposition was related, among other things, to Shaked's comments in December 2018 that "this will be Netanyahu's last term as prime minister. He is no longer young and there are many investigations against him."

The current report joins yesterday's report on Channel 13 that Netanyahu intends to make several changes in the cabinet's composition, including dismissing ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked.