Likud Court Overturns Decision Allowing Ministers to Run in Primaries Amid Voting Irregularities

The Likud party's supreme court reversed a recent decision that would have allowed current and former Knesset members, ministers, and deputy ministers to run in regional primaries. The ruling came after the party conference approved the proposal by a narrow margin of just five votes, prompting the court to intervene due to significant procedural flaws and concerns over fairness. A source within the Likud court told Srugim that if the margin had been wider, such as 50 votes, the court would not have stepped in. However, the slim margin combined with the mysterious disappearance of five ballot envelopes from Rishon Lezion, a stronghold of Likud's David Bitan, raised doubts about the vote's legitimacy.

The court's majority of four to one cited fundamental defects in the voting process and potential violations of the Likud constitution and equality principles as reasons for overturning the decision. Despite these issues, the court dismissed allegations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his vote, confirming it was properly recorded and lawful. Netanyahu’s eight secured reserved spots remain valid, and the deadline for candidate submissions has been extended by 48 hours. The Likud primaries are scheduled for Monday, August 17.

This ruling marks a victory for David Bitan’s faction within the party, which opposed the initial change. The court did not separately rule on claims about ballot tampering and party machinery involvement but acknowledged these concerns as part of the overall context demonstrating the vote’s precariousness. Netanyahu’s request related to the matter was also rejected by the court.