Likud Party Faces Renewed Legal Battle Over Netanyahu's Primary Election Reserved Slots

The Likud party is embroiled in ongoing turmoil as its internal court ordered a renewed discussion on Sunday regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demand for reserved slots in the party's primary elections. The party's Constitution Committee had previously approved Netanyahu and Haim Katz's proposal granting Netanyahu eight reserved positions, including three in the top ten and three in the second ten. However, a last-minute petition from the Social Forum, led by attorney Eric Toito, resulted in the cancellation of the primary vote scheduled for Thursday, after the Lod District Court issued an injunction halting the election process until a counterproposal is presented.

Approximately 4,500 Likud Central Committee members were expected to vote on the proposal, but the legal intervention disrupted the process, prompting Netanyahu to instruct the party's director to postpone the vote and reschedule it soon to ensure all members can exercise their voting rights. The party claims the injunction caused significant financial damage, with polling stations already prepared nationwide.

During the previous committee meeting, Likud's Economy Committee Chairman MK David Bitan opposed the reserved slots, arguing they harm the party's poll standings. The party also released a recording from the closed committee session to support its claim that the petitioners exploited a clerical error in the protocol to mislead the court into believing their demand for full primaries was accepted. Netanyahu is expected to appear at the upcoming committee hearing to address these issues, where the primary election method, submitted proposals, and the new party constitution will be discussed and voted on.