Gamliel Challenges Likud Primary Results, Cites Irregularities

The Likud party's internal court is set to convene an expanded panel to address petitions filed after the recent primary elections, which allege irregularities at polling stations. The central figure in the dispute is MK Gila Gamliel, who was pushed to a non-viable position on the Knesset list following a recount. Gamliel claims that serious flaws occurred during the vote count, specifically pointing to an allegedly illegal opening of a polling station in Beer Yaakov and other deliberate irregularities managed by the party leadership.

Gamliel has accused Minister Haim Katz of involvement in these alleged improprieties and has filed a police complaint against him and others. She asserts that the election committee's approval for opening the polling stations was granted retroactively. However, party officials have refuted these claims, maintaining that the elections and recount were conducted according to procedure and under legal supervision.

Sources close to Gamliel state that this is a principled fight for the integrity of the party's elections. If her demands are not met by the Likud court, she intends to appeal to the District Court, seeking a full police investigation into the matter. The court's decisions on all petitions are expected in the coming days, with the deadline for submitting the candidate list to the Central Elections Committee approaching next Tuesday.