Likud Court Secretly Approves Defense Minister Katz's Primary List Exemption After Hours

New details revealed by i24NEWS expose the secretive process behind the Likud court's decision to grant Defense Minister Israel Katz a protected spot on the party list, exempting him from primary elections. The request was discussed about a week ago, late at night after a long day of hearings on other petitions. Around 11 p.m., the official recording and minutes were stopped, and most attendees left the room. Only the court judges, Likud's legal advisor Ilan Bombach, and CEO David Sharan remained to hear the brief written request, which was only a few lines long.

The discussion lasted about 15 minutes and did not involve any classified information. The judges decided to allow Prime Minister Netanyahu to grant Katz the exemption, reasoning that it would enable Katz to focus on national security without the distraction of a primary campaign. The decision cited a vague clause in the Likud constitution that empowers the court to act "according to the principles of justice and fairness, considering the party's best interests."

However, after the ruling, the judges were surprised to see Katz continuing to engage in primary campaign activities, contradicting the justification for the exemption. Recent reports also noted that Katz left a cabinet meeting early to attend celebrations with Likud affiliates, despite the exemption being granted to allow him to dedicate his time fully to security matters.