Court Halts Netanyahu's Reserved Seats Vote in Likud Primaries at Last Minute

Minutes before the Likud party primaries were set to begin on Thursday, the Lod District Court issued a temporary injunction stopping the vote on reserved seats allocated to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following the court order, Netanyahu instructed the Likud management to postpone the vote to a later date. The injunction came after several petitions challenged the unilateral proposal that was to be voted on, particularly criticizing the exclusion of an alternative plan by MK David Bitan, which sought to limit Netanyahu's reserved seats to three. The court ruled that the vote could not proceed without presenting both proposals to the party members.

The petitions, filed urgently by attorney Eric Twito and the Social Forum alongside the National Labor Federation just one hour before voting, argued that the Likud management violated a clear directive from the party's internal court issued the day before. That ruling mandated that both competing proposals be presented to the party's central committee members. However, the voting ballots only included the proposal by Minister Haim Katz, omitting the National Labor Federation's alternative, which had been approved by the party's Constitution Committee.

The Social Forum described the injunction as a victory for democratic process, condemning the exclusion as a severe breach of fair representation for all party members. Meanwhile, Likud officials sought to downplay the disruption, emphasizing Netanyahu's insistence that all members be able to vote and announcing plans to reschedule the primaries soon due to the legal delays that disrupted the vote.

The controversy centers on an agreement reached earlier in the week between Netanyahu and Katz, who chairs both the Likud Central Committee and the Constitution Committee. Under this plan, Netanyahu would receive eight personal reserved spots on the Knesset list, including control over key positions within the top 31 slots. This arrangement requires current Likud ministers, deputy ministers, and MKs to compete in regional and sectoral primaries, sparking discontent among party members who fear losing their realistic chances of reelection to Netanyahu's appointees.

Behind the scenes, sources claim Netanyahu and Katz's teams actively blocked the National Labor Federation's proposal from being voted on at the last moment. Without the court injunction, the vote would have proceeded solely on Katz's proposal until 8 p.m., ignoring the party court's decision. MK David Bitan led the public and legal opposition to Netanyahu's reserved seats plan, warning that it damages the party's standing in polls and could lead to electoral decline.

There is also concern within Likud that the secret ballot system planned across eight polling stations nationwide might encourage members to vote against Netanyahu to protect their political interests. Party insiders now warn that the legal challenge may be used to delay the primaries indefinitely, potentially leading to their cancellation altogether.