Likud Postpones Deadline on Membership Rule to Aid Hadar Mukhtar's Candidacy

The Likud party leadership has decided to extend the deadline for Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision regarding the shortening of the party membership duration requirement (Pazam) for new candidates. This extension comes amid ongoing legal proceedings, including petitions to the party's court and the district court, which have delayed the process. The new deadline is expected to be Monday, allowing more time to resolve these issues.

Additionally, the deadline for candidate registration for the upcoming Likud primaries has been extended until Thursday at 10 PM, despite the registration having initially closed earlier in the week. Members of Knesset who have registered for both the national and district lists are still awaiting a final decision on where they will run, as this matter is also under judicial review and may face further delays.

Within Prime Minister Netanyahu's circle, there is a debate over whether to allow Hadar Mukhtar to run under the Likud banner despite her not meeting the usual membership duration requirement. Some officials argue against shortening the Pazam for Mukhtar, citing concerns about the party's image ahead of the elections. Others believe Mukhtar could attract significant youth support due to her large social media following.

The legal turmoil surrounding the Likud primaries has caused repeated schedule changes, affecting district boundaries, candidate lists, and election regulations. To avoid premature decisions before the legal situation is clarified, the party leadership chose to postpone the decision on Pazam shortening requests. The primary race continues under these uncertain and shifting timelines.