Likud Court Bars Ministers and MKs from Running in District Primaries

In a late-night ruling between August 2 and 3, the Likud party's internal court overturned a recent conference decision, prohibiting current and former ministers and Knesset members from running in district slots during the party primaries. This move effectively blocks a reform pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Haim Katz, which had narrowly passed by a margin of five votes at the party conference.

The court ruled that the change was not legally approved and violated the principle of equality. Following this decision, the deadline for candidate submissions was extended by 48 hours. Additionally, the court accepted a petition by MK Eliyahu Revivo, annulling the guaranteed placement for a woman at the 35th spot on the national list, citing procedural errors in the constitutional committee. The spot will revert to a general national slot open to all candidates.

The court also rejected requests to advance the Haifa and Northern district on the list and denied petitions to merge or split the Shephelah-Jerusalem-West Bank district. Furthermore, it ruled that district representatives will be elected by all registered party members in each district, not just by the party's central committee members, until a formal amendment to the party constitution is made.