Likud Withdraws Petition Against Party Court Ruling on Primaries but Seeks Alternative Legal Route

The Likud party has decided to withdraw its planned petition to the district court challenging the internal party court's decision barring current Knesset members and ministers from running in regional primaries. The party had intended to file the petition through attorney Ilan Bombach, but now Bombach is expected to rely on a similar petition already submitted by MK Afif Abd.

The party court ruling, issued by a majority of four judges against one dissenting opinion from judge Akiva Nof, prohibits sitting MKs and ministers from competing in the regional primaries and requires them to run on the national list instead. This decision effectively overturns a narrow vote at the Likud convention, where the option to allow incumbents to run in regional districts passed by only five votes.

Politically, this means that incumbent MKs and ministers who planned to run in regional districts must now switch to the national list, where competition is expected to be more intense. Conversely, local candidates in the districts benefit from the absence of incumbents, who typically have greater name recognition, resources, and activist networks.

The Likud's move to withdraw the petition signals a strategic shift, but the party continues to seek legal avenues to challenge the party court's ruling ahead of the 2026 elections.