Dispute Over Double Ballots Could Reshape Likud Primary Rankings

A political and legal controversy has erupted following the Likud party primaries, centered on disputed ballots in Jerusalem and Ashdod. Approximately 100 party members were allowed to vote using double envelopes due to technical issues that prevented their names from appearing in the required voter registry. Of these, about 50 actually cast their votes. These votes have not yet been included in the official results but could alter the rankings around positions 14 and 15 on the party list.

If counted, the votes could enable Knesset member David Bitan to surpass Boaz Bismuth, who currently leads Bitan by a narrow margin of 16 votes. The disputed ballots are linked to supporters of Yonatan Tal, an associate of Minister Miki Zohar and the Alboim family from the "Guardians of the Temple Mount" group. Tal has demanded that the Likud CEO, David Sharan, not count these votes, arguing that the names on the ballots do not match the original list submitted to the party.

Bitan strongly denies these claims, accusing Tal of dishonesty. In response to the dispute, Likud's party court president, Attorney Michael Kleiner, ordered a freeze on counting the contested ballots. This freeze will remain until Tal submits an official affidavit supporting his claims along with the list of members involved. If the affidavit is provided, the votes will remain frozen pending a special hearing by a three-judge panel of the party court.

Should the contested votes be validated, it would cause a significant shift in the party rankings, with Bitan overtaking Bismuth, who is considered a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This development could impact the internal balance of power within Likud ahead of upcoming elections.