Israeli Supreme Court Rejects Sharren Haskel's Petition Against Likud and National Right

The Israeli Supreme Court dismissed Sharren Haskel's petition demanding that the Likud and National Right factions implement their merger agreement and allow her to split from the National Right faction. The court ruled that Haskel's delay in filing the petition justified its outright rejection. The petition sought to enable Haskel, opposing the merger, to form a single-member faction entitled to party funding and ongoing expenses under Section 59(3) of the Knesset Law.

President Justice Isaac Amit emphasized the importance of strict adherence to deadlines in election-related matters. Although the original merger agreement was signed in March 2025, Haskel only acted days before the critical date for party funding on July 18-19, 2026. The court noted that this delay undermined the core claim that Haskel opposed the merger, as she provided no contemporaneous evidence of dissent.

During proceedings, it emerged that on July 14, 2026, the leaders of Likud and National Right agreed to modify their arrangement from an actual faction merger in the 25th Knesset to running jointly on a single candidate list for the 26th Knesset elections. Haskel argued this was an attempt to circumvent the law and block her rights. However, the justices stated they generally do not interfere in political agreements unless there is clear illegality or severe public harm. They viewed enforcing the original merger agreement against the parties’ later decision as excessive.

Justice Amit acknowledged that joint candidate lists could raise legal questions about a dissenting MK’s right to split but said this case was not suitable for resolving that issue due to Haskel’s late action. The court also dismissed unrelated claims about voting procedures for the State Comptroller election as irrelevant to the petition. Ultimately, the petition was rejected entirely but without ordering Haskel to pay court costs, considering the joint list agreement was reached only after her petition.

Summary: The Israeli Supreme Court rejected Sharren Haskel's petition to enforce a faction merger between Likud and National Right, citing her delayed action and lack of evidence of opposition. The court upheld the parties’ later agreement to run jointly on a single list for upcoming elections and declined to intervene in their political arrangements.