Likud Supreme Court Rules Primaries Must Proceed Despite Netanyahu's Security Clause

The Likud party's Supreme Court has ruled that a clause pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which would cancel the party's primary elections in the event of a security escalation, is illegal. The court emphasized that the primaries must be held and rejected any possibility of their cancellation, stating, "Likud is not a one-man party and would lose its vitality if it became one." The ruling highlighted that the party's preferred method for selecting candidates is through primaries and that no loophole should allow their annulment.

The court acknowledged that the party's bylaws allow the election committee to postpone primaries for special reasons, including emergencies, but this should be the first and preferred option rather than outright cancellation. It also expressed a strong preference for electronic voting if a security situation prevents in-person voting, despite the current party constitution not permitting electronic ballots. The court urged the party to prepare for this possibility to avoid violating the constitution by not holding any vote.

This decision comes after Netanyahu proposed a measure last week allowing the party chairman to appoint a selection committee in case of wartime conditions, a move seen by some within Likud as an attempt to intimidate the party's constitutional committee and secure control over the candidate list. Netanyahu initially demanded to combine internal elections with a broad number of reserved spots on the list and threatened to cancel the primaries if his demands were not met.

The dispute over the primaries is part of a broader struggle by Netanyahu to shape the Likud candidate list, fearing that open elections might bring in candidates who could harm the party's image and electoral prospects. Legal battles have ensued both within the Likud court and at the Lod District Court, challenging Netanyahu's proposed changes as unconstitutional under Likud's rules.

The Likud Supreme Court concluded that the party must exhaust all options to hold the primaries, and any unforeseen situation will be addressed by the court as it arises.