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, barring current and former ministers and Knesset members from competing for district slots in the upcoming primaries. This move effectively blocks a push led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Haim Katz, which had narrowly passed by five votes at the party conference. The court ruled the change was not properly approved and violated the principle of equality.

Following the decision, the deadline for candidate submissions was extended by 48 hours. Additionally, the court accepted a petition from MK Eliyahu Revivo, annulling a reserved spot for a woman at number 35 on the national list, citing procedural errors in the party's constitutional committee. The seat will revert to an open national slot available 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, until an explicit amendment is made to the party constitution.