Netanyahu Declines to Appeal Likud Court Ban on Incumbent MKs in Primaries

Member of Knesset Afif Abed (Likud) filed a petition with the Tel Aviv District Court challenging the Likud party court's decision to bar sitting MKs from running in the party's upcoming primaries in various districts. Abed argued that the court overstepped its authority by overriding the will of the Likud convention, which is the party's sovereign decision-making body. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided not to file an appeal against the decision on behalf of Likud, instead supporting Abed's petition and presenting arguments as a party stakeholder. Abed, who entered the Knesset over two years after its swearing-in under the Norwegian Law following former Defense Minister Yoav Galant's resignation, claimed the ruling should not apply to him. He noted that the court's decision was based on the assumption that incumbent MKs have inherent advantages due to their full term, public exposure, and political weight, which he does not possess. The Likud court had ruled between August 2 and 3 that current and former MKs, ministers, and deputy ministers cannot run in the August 17 primaries. This move, promoted by Netanyahu and Minister Haim Katz, narrowly passed at the party convention. The ruling benefits new candidates who have never been elected, as they will not have to compete against established incumbents. The primaries will allocate spots 27, 28, 30, and 31 on the Likud list to representatives from the Shfela, Jerusalem and West Bank, Tel Aviv and Dan, Galilee and Valleys, and Negev districts respectively.