Likud Court Overturns Key Primary Rule Allowing MKs to Run in Districts

The Likud party's Supreme Court overturned a recent central decision made by the party conference regarding the primary election rules. The court ruled that current and former Knesset members, ministers, and deputy ministers cannot run in regional districts during the primaries due to procedural flaws and constitutional changes. This ruling blocks a move pushed by Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and party Constitution Committee head Minister Haim Katz, which had passed by a narrow margin of five votes at the conference.

The court also reversed other conference decisions: the 35th spot on the Likud list will return to the national list rather than being reserved for a woman, the definition of an immigrant for representation purposes will apply only to those who arrived after January 1, 1990, and the deadline for candidate registration was extended by 48 hours. However, Netanyahu’s eight reserved slots on the list remain intact.

The court dismissed allegations that Netanyahu voted illegally, citing no evidence and confirming his vote was properly recorded under security constraints. The ruling emphasized that opening districts to sitting MKs and ministers fundamentally changes the party’s rules, which were designed to nurture new leadership and ensure fair competition for grassroots candidates. The court noted irregularities in vote counts and envelopes in several polling stations but did not find evidence of fraud. It rejected calls for a recount or new vote, citing tight timelines.

Additional rulings included barring sitting MKs from running in guaranteed representation slots unless they resign and forgo state funding, and rejecting proposals to split the Jerusalem-Shfela-West Bank district or promote the Haifa-North district’s position on the list. The court confirmed that district candidates will be elected by registered district members, not the party’s central committee, as the constitutional amendment enabling this has not yet taken effect.

This decision significantly impacts the upcoming Likud primaries by limiting options for incumbent politicians and preserving Netanyahu’s influence over the final list composition.