Likud MK Appeals to Supreme Court Over Party's District Candidacy Ban

Likud Member of Knesset Afif Abed filed an appeal on Tuesday to the Israeli Supreme Court challenging a Tel Aviv District Court ruling that upheld the Likud party's decision to bar its MKs and ministers from running in district-based slots in the upcoming primaries. The district court had rejected Abed's petition, which was supported by the Likud party itself, against the Likud's internal court ruling that restricts candidates to the national list only, forcing them to compete for positions there.

Abed criticized the decision, stating it overrides the will of Likud members, who he described as sovereign in the candidate selection process. He also raised concerns about irregularities at a polling station in Rishon Lezion linked to David Bitan. Abed urged the Supreme Court to annul the Likud court's ruling, which he claims exceeded its authority by intervening in a core party policy matter that should be decided by party members rather than the court.

Although the district court acknowledged that the Likud court overstepped its jurisdiction, it chose not to overturn the outcome due to procedural issues related to voting and counting. Abed and his supporters argue that this legal outcome undermines the explicit democratic choice of the Likud convention members and plan to seek the Supreme Court's intervention to reverse the decision.