Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to request at least five personal reserved slots on the Likud slate ahead of the upcoming elections, according to Channel 12 News.
Netanyahu aims to make the competition among candidates as challenging as possible in order to "upgrade the Likud slate." Initially, he had requested ten reserved slots for his own candidates, but it is now believed he will settle for five.
The Prime Minister wants to maintain control over the list while diversifying it with names that will appeal to a broader range of voters and constituencies.
Among those mentioned as potential candidates for Netanyahu’s reserved slots are bereaved parents Dedy Simhi, whose son was killed while attempting to fend off Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and Itzik Bonzel, whose son died in Gaza two months after the war began.
Likud has stated that "the Prime Minister is working to ensure the elections take place on time in order to address Israel’s security concerns."