Likud Court Rejects Minister Gamliel's Appeals, Upholds Primary Results

The Likud party's internal court has dismissed two appeals filed by Minister Gila Gamliel concerning the results of the party's primary elections. The appeals stemmed from disputes over vote counts in two ballot boxes in Be'er Ya'akov, which showed unusually high numbers for some candidates in the initial count. Following these anomalies, a recount was ordered.

The recount dramatically altered the results for both Gamliel and MK Eti Atia. In one ballot box, Gamliel's votes dropped from 193 to 59, while Atia's increased from 12 to 107. In the second box, Gamliel's votes fell from 240 to 56, and Atia's rose from 7 to 100. Gamliel challenged the validity of the recount, arguing that a ballot box was opened without official authorization, compromising the chain of custody.

The Likud court, in a 4-1 decision, ruled that the results of the second count would be considered binding. While acknowledging a procedural flaw in the opening of the ballot box, the court found sufficient evidence, including surveillance footage and testimony, to validate the recount's outcome. The court prioritized upholding the votes of hundreds of party members over disqualifying the results due to the procedural issue.

This decision has significant political implications for the Likud's Knesset list. As a result, MK Eti Atia will be placed in the 20th position on the list for the 26th Knesset, while Minister Gila Gamliel will be placed in the 25th position. The ruling concludes a protracted internal struggle between the two politicians over their electoral standing within the party.