Likud Court Hears Challenges to Primary Results Amid Fraud Claims

The Likud party's internal court convened Tuesday to hear petitions challenging the results of the party's primary elections, with allegations of widespread irregularities and fraud threatening to alter the party's Knesset list just days before the deadline for submission.

Minister Gila Gamliel opened the proceedings by leveling severe accusations of "election theft" and systematic forgery, particularly targeting a ballot box in Be'er Yaakov. Gamliel, who has filed a police complaint against Minister Haim Katz, claims she was deliberately pushed to an unrealistic position on the list. "More than 22,000 people from all over the country came to vote for me," Gamliel stated, asserting that the actions taken were not coincidental but part of a deliberate scheme to undermine her long-standing work and support within the party.

The urgent hearing stems from Gamliel's petition against the election committee's decision to conduct a recount, which resulted in her being relegated to a non-viable spot, with MK Etty Attia taking the 25th position instead. Gamliel contends that the recount process was flawed and that the Be'er Yaakov ballot box was opened illegally, an action she believes was retroactively legitimized to cover up a fundamentally improper procedure.

Sources close to Gamliel emphasized that this is a principled fight for integrity and internal democracy within the Likud. They indicated that if the court does not order a correction to the list, she is determined to pursue legal action in district court and see the police investigation through.

The Likud institutions have rejected the claims outright, maintaining that all counting and verification processes were conducted under close legal supervision and in accordance with party procedures. The court is expected to issue its decision in the coming days, a ruling that could significantly impact the party's lineup for the upcoming elections.