Tel Aviv Court Upholds Likud Ban on Ministers and MKs Running in District Primaries

The Tel Aviv District Court, led by Judge Yaakov Shaked, rejected a petition by Knesset member Afif Amin Abed against the Likud Supreme Court's decision to invalidate a party bylaw change allowing current and former ministers and MKs to run in district primaries. This ruling means that sitting ministers and MKs cannot compete for district slots in the upcoming Likud primaries, counter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wishes to open districts to senior party figures.

The controversy began on July 27, 2026, when the Likud held a convention vote narrowly approving the bylaw amendment permitting ministers and MKs to run in districts. Following the vote, several appeals were filed with the Likud Supreme Court, which annulled the amendment citing violations of equality principles for new candidates, for whom districts serve as protected "nurseries." The court also found serious procedural flaws in the voting process.

Judge Shaked criticized the party court's equality rationale but ruled that decisions on candidate eligibility fall within the party's policy discretion, which the court cannot override. However, he upheld the annulment due to significant voting irregularities, including a biased SMS from the acting party CEO urging support for the amendment, delayed appointment of election observers, discrepancies in ballot counts, and notably, the disappearance of five envelopes in a key polling station in Rishon Lezion, the exact margin by which the amendment passed.

The judge emphasized that these irregularities could have directly affected the outcome, justifying the decision to invalidate the amendment. Abed's petition and request for interim relief were denied, and no costs order was issued, acknowledging his valid point on the party's policy-making authority.

This ruling represents a setback for Netanyahu's efforts to expand his influence over the party's Knesset list. Meanwhile, various factions, including a new ideological bloc aiming to unite Likud's Haredi members, are forming ahead of the primaries.