BREAKING NEWS

Likud votes for Netanyahu to retain key powers in party

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in persuading the Likud's governing secretariat to cancel its controversial decision to take away key powers he has as leader of Likud, party officials said Sunday.
The decision aimed to take away Netanyahu’s powers to allocate party funds, appoint party officials and decide the terms of internal party posts. The secretariat members, led by their chairman, Transportation Minister Israel Katz, voted last week to give those powers to themselves.
The vote to cancel the proposal passed in a vote conducted by telephone Saturday night and Sunday after Katz canceled a Secretariat meeting set for Sunday night.
After Netanyahu threatened to fire Katz from the cabinet, the prime minister and Katz decided to form a committee of Netanyahu’s lawyer David Shimron and coalition chairman David Bitan to negotiate new rules on how to manage the party and prevent the Likud’s funds from being misused.