Legal Challenge Threatens Likud Primary Election Plan After Committee Approval

The Likud party's primary election framework, recently approved by its Constitution Committee, now faces a legal challenge that could delay the process. The approved plan includes reserved slots for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and specific placements for current Knesset members. However, Tzvi Rubin, a candidate from the Haifa district, filed an injunction with the party's internal court seeking to annul the committee's decision.

If the party court agrees to hear the petition rather than dismissing it outright, the Likud convention scheduled to finalize the proposal by Thursday may be postponed. This delay could potentially affect the entire primary election timeline. While it remains uncertain whether the primary elections themselves will be postponed, there is concern that the dispute might escalate beyond party courts to the district court, which would represent a significant development.

The broader election schedule remains set, with the Knesset dissolution planned for July 17, the final candidate list submission deadline on September 7, and the general election slated for October 27, 2026. The legal challenge introduces uncertainty into the Likud's internal candidate selection process ahead of these dates.