Likud officials pressuring Netanyahu to move Avi Dichter into realistic party position using 'swap'

Pressure is growing among senior Likud officials on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use the "swap" provision approved before the primaries to move Minister Avi Dichter into a realistic position on the party slate.

This message is now being conveyed to Netanyahu primarily because of Dichter's status as a former Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief and concerns that Likud could enter the election without a senior security figure in a realistic position.

Dichter was pushed outside the realistic range in the primaries, and the result has raised concern among senior Likud officials. Following the retirement of Yoav Gallant, Dichter is considered the most prominent security figure among the party's senior members, and Likud officials believe his presence on the slate has electoral importance in an election campaign in which security issues are expected to play a central role.

The possibility of returning Dichter to a realistic position is already anchored in Likud's election rules. Before the primaries, the party's Constitution Committee approved a mechanism allowing Netanyahu to move a candidate who competed in the primaries into a position designated for one of the party chairman's reserved slots, while moving the reserved candidate to a lower position. The mechanism became known as the "swap."

The provision that could now help Dichter was at the center of a fierce dispute before the primaries. Petitions were filed against it with the Likud court, including claims that it was intended to allow certain candidates to be promoted. Haim Katz was mentioned at the time as one of those who could potentially benefit.

The court rejected the petitions and approved the provision, reasoning that the promotion would come at the expense of a position reserved for the party chairman and therefore would not push back another candidate elected by party members.

Likud court president supports preference for primary candidates over reserved

Likud court president Michael Kleiner expressed support in principle for giving preference to a candidate who competed in the primaries over a reserved candidate. Kleiner said he supported "any step that advances a person who competed and was elected over a person who was given a reserved spot."

At this stage, pressure among senior officials is focused on Dichter. Other names could come up later, but no similar consensus exists around another candidate. The decision now rests with Netanyahu.

Using the provision for Dichter would mean using one of Netanyahu's reserved slots to promote a minister who competed in the primaries, rather than bringing in a new candidate from outside the party. The provision, which sparked a battle even before the vote, could now be used for the first time following the results, returning Dichter to a realistic position on the Likud slate.