Jerusalem District Court Judge Tamar Bar-Asher on Monday lifted the temporary injunction that had blocked the Likud convention, allowing it to convene as planned to approve the party’s primary election regulations. The judge ruled after an urgent, lengthy hearing that the political timetable ahead of the Knesset election leaves no room for further delays.
Acting Likud CEO David Sharan told the court the process is time-sensitive. He said the general election is expected on October 20, 2026, candidate lists must be submitted 45 days earlier, and the party must hold its primaries no later than 65 days before the election. He added that the voter register is due to close definitively on July 6, 2026, so the constitution committee must meet immediately to set the rules. Bar-Asher agreed that the balance of convenience clearly favors holding the convention, warning that another postponement on the eve of the meeting could seriously harm the party’s preparations.
The dispute began after eight Likud members, represented by attorney Michael Dvorin, petitioned to cancel the results of the party convention elections held last November. They relied on internal checks and findings from the State Comptroller’s audit, which raised serious suspicions of criminal conduct and damage to election integrity. The petitioners alleged that about 21% of the registered party members, roughly 28,000 people, did not pay their own membership fees, because outside parties paid for them in an effort to sway the result.
The legal position inside the party changed sharply over the weekend. Likud legal adviser Avi Halevi originally backed the petitioners and supported a temporary injunction until an external review of the candidate register was completed. He later resigned, and attorney Ilan Bombach replaced him. Bombach told the court the party was withdrawing its earlier consent and wanted the injunction removed to avoid political paralysis. The court adopted the more limited approach already set by the Likud’s internal tribunal, so the convention will meet, but only on urgent matters directly tied to the primaries, such as electing the convention presidium and approving the primary regulations. The broader allegations of fraud and defects in the voter register will continue before the party’s Central Election Committee, headed by retired judge Menachem Neeman. No costs were awarded.
