Likud Urges Supreme Court to Decide Today to Avoid Primary Election Delay

The Likud party has requested the Israeli Supreme Court to issue a ruling today (Wednesday) regarding the eligibility of candidates running in the party's district primaries scheduled for next Monday. This urgent appeal follows a district court decision that rejected a petition by Knesset member Afif Abed, which effectively bars current and former Knesset members, ministers, and deputy ministers from competing in the district primaries. Without a Supreme Court decision, the upcoming primaries face the risk of cancellation.

Aviad Azar, the Likud primaries project manager, warned party CEO David Sharan about the significant financial and logistical consequences of postponing the primaries. Azar noted that if preparations do not begin by 4 p.m. Wednesday, the execution of the primaries would be jeopardized, potentially costing the party over 5.5 million shekels and involving a complex operational challenge.

Ahead of the primaries, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to reserve spots on the Likud list for Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and Likud Central Committee Chairman Haim Katz. Businessman Oren Dovronsky, known from the TV show "The Sharks," is also expected to receive a reserved high-ranking spot.

Likud has approximately 142,000 eligible voters, with about 60% considered "free" members, while the rest are affiliated with major patrons or organized groups. The primaries are highly competitive, influenced by the party's current polling status and the number of reserved list positions. Netanyahu is heavily involved in shaping a more moderate and balanced list to regain voters who have left the party, recently pushing to increase his ability to reserve candidates on the list.