With national elections appearing a realistic entity in the coming months, Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu is signaling that he may secure a limited number of slots in the party’s lineup in a move to place his supporters in pivotal positions on the party roster.

Such a list includes Dan Meridor, a former royal member of the party hierarchy who left to join the now-defunct Center Party. Also on Netanyahu’s list is Galya Maor, the general-manger of Bank Leumi, and Yair Shamir, son of former Likud prime minister, Yitzchak Shamir.

Netanyahu is also busying himself to block members of Moshe Feiglin’s Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction of the party from obtaining any realistic slots on the party lineup. Feiglin’s faction stands for a Greater Israel with adherence to Torah values.

Opponents explain that doing so, guaranteeing slots in advance, would represent a betrayal to members who were promised the party’s lineup would be determined by vote, and not in a prearranged appointment policy.

Netanyahu’s staff released a statement that at present, the party leader is concerned with the Knesset setting a date for early elections, nothing more.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)