Israeli Supreme Court Blocks Netanyahu and Ministers From Running in Regional Primaries

The Likud party's Supreme Court overturned a recent conference decision by a 4-1 majority, ruling that current and former Knesset members, ministers, and deputy ministers cannot run in regional primaries. This ruling halted a move supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud's Constitution Committee Chair, Minister Haim Katz, which had narrowly passed by just five votes at the party conference. The court based its decision on significant procedural flaws in the voting process and, according to some majority judges, on contradictions with the Likud constitution and the principle of equality.

The court rejected claims against Netanyahu's vote, confirming it was properly recorded and lawful. Netanyahu's eight secured reserved slots on the party list remain intact, and the deadline for candidate submissions has been extended by 48 hours. Additionally, the court ruled that the 35th spot on the Likud list will revert to the national list and will no longer be reserved for a woman.

Politically, this decision is significant because Knesset members who sought to run in regional primaries as an alternative to the crowded national list have lost that option. Meanwhile, Netanyahu retains control over eight reserved slots, allowing him to shape the final party list. The majority of the court emphasized that allowing Knesset members and ministers to run in regional primaries would fundamentally change the party's election rules, which cannot be altered by a temporary amendment to the election regulations.