Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently approached Channel 14 News presenter and commentator Yaara Zered, offering her a reserved candidate slot on the Likud Knesset slate, Channel 14 reported for the first time on Monday evening. Zered turned down the proposal, deciding not to enter the political arena at this stage. The outreach came as Netanyahu accelerates efforts to finalize candidates for Likud’s reserved positions, with decisions on several slots still unresolved.
Since Sunday evening, the prime minister has conducted intensive rounds of consultations regarding the party’s reserved slots. The discussions ran into the early morning hours and resumed Monday as potential names were floated and reviewed. Amid ongoing deliberations, a press conference Netanyahu had scheduled at the Orient Hotel in Jerusalem to unveil the candidates was pushed back to Tuesday afternoon, with organizers noting the event could be canceled entirely depending on progress.
Adding pressure to the timeline, the Likud Party’s internal tribunal intervened Monday evening, issuing an ultimatum instructing Netanyahu to publish the finalized list of reserved candidates by 9:00 PM. If the names are not submitted by the deadline, party rules could trigger a secret ballot vote within the Likud Secretariat—raising the stakes for Netanyahu to conclude deliberations immediately.
Earlier Monday, reports confirmed that alongside attorney David Peter, Netanyahu extended an offer for a reserved spot to Yiska Bina, head of the Movement for Governability and Democracy. Tapping Bina addresses two strategic priorities for the Likud leadership: featuring a prominent public advocate aligned with judicial reform and securing female representation in a leading position on the party’s parliamentary ticket.