Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has identified at least four ministers and one Likud MK whom he would prefer not to see on the party's Knesset list in the next election, Channel 12 News reported Saturday night.
According to the report, the lawmakers are ministers Dudi Amsalem, Idit Silman, May Golan, and Shlomo Karhi, as well as MK Tally Gotliv.
Although all five are considered loyal allies of Netanyahu and have consistently defended him during the current Knesset term, the report said the prime minister wants to promote more broadly representative figures in an effort to improve Likud's public image.
On Sunday, Likud's Constitution Committee is set to vote on two proposals for selecting the party's candidate list. The first plan calls for party primaries with eight reserved slots under the Prime Minister's control. An alternative proposal backed by several ministers would establish a selection committee, eight reserved slots for Netanyahu, and district representatives chosen through primaries in which incumbent MKs may also compete.
According to the report, if such a selection committee is established, Bat Yam Mayor Tzvika Brot is expected to head it. Other prominent Likud local authority leaders, including Haim Bibas, Ronen Plot, Beni Biton, Yaakov Peretz, and Shay Hajaj, are also expected to serve on the committee.
The report said both options are favorable to Netanyahu, since he would like a selection committee and would not have to request the move himself. However, under that scenario, incumbent ministers would generally retain their current positions on the list, making it more difficult for him to overhaul the party's lineup..
Likud sources quoted in the report claimed that "Netanyahu's goal is not to remove the extremists and improve the list, but to control it in the event of an election defeat and ensure that those elected remain loyal to him."
Likud denied the report, saying: "This is complete fake news. These are not MKs whom Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to remove from the party, but MKs whom Channel 12 wants to see out of politics. Fortunately, they are not the ones making that decision."