Likud Warns Supreme Court Delay Could Postpone Primaries by Two Weeks

The Likud party has issued a warning that any delay in the Supreme Court's ruling on an appeal concerning the eligibility of Knesset members and ministers to run in regional primaries could postpone the party's primaries by at least two weeks. The primaries are currently scheduled for August 17, and the party stresses that a delay would disrupt preparations and incur millions of shekels in wasted expenses. The Supreme Court is set to hear the appeal on August 13, following a lower court's rejection of the petition filed by MK Afif Abed, who sought to allow sitting lawmakers and ministers to compete in regional slots.

The legal dispute centers on a narrow change to the Likud's internal election rules, approved by a slim margin at the party conference, which was later overturned by the Likud's internal court due to alleged voting irregularities. The party's legal advisor, Ilan Bombach, emphasized in a letter to the Supreme Court that printing of voting materials is imminent and any delay would prevent timely completion of logistical preparations. The letter also warns that postponing the primaries could compress the timeline for filing appeals against the results, potentially jeopardizing the submission of the Likud's candidate list for the 26th Knesset elections.

This legal battle follows weeks of internal and judicial challenges over the party's election procedures. The Supreme Court judges noted that the appeal was filed promptly after the district court ruling on August 10, explaining the timing of the hearing. The outcome of this case will not only determine the eligibility of incumbents to run in regional primaries but also directly affect the feasibility of holding the primaries on the planned date, impacting the party's overall election preparations.