Israeli Supreme Court Declines to Intervene in Likud Primaries District Dispute

The Israeli Supreme Court convened on Wednesday evening to discuss the contentious issue of Likud Knesset members running in district slots for the upcoming party primaries scheduled for Monday. This hearing followed an appeal by the Likud party after the Tel Aviv District Court rejected a petition filed by Likud MK Afif Abed and joined by the party itself, challenging a decision made by the Likud party's internal tribunal.

The Likud argued in its Supreme Court appeal that without a swift ruling, the primaries could be jeopardized. Currently, incumbent and former MKs, ministers, and deputy ministers from Likud are barred from contesting district positions in the primaries and would be forced to compete only on the national list.

At the start of the session, Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez emphasized the court's preference for the party to resolve the dispute internally, stating, "We advanced the hearing ahead of schedule because we understood there was a conflict. We will not complain if you resolve it among yourselves. I ask you to try to reach an agreement." Justice Ofer Groskopf added that since the District Court declined to intervene in the Likud tribunal's decision, the Supreme Court saw no reason to do so either.

Attorney Guy Busi, representing MK Abed, argued that the District Court found the Likud tribunal exceeded its authority. Justice Barak-Erez corrected this, clarifying that the District Court identified a flaw in only one of the tribunal's three justifications and that the tribunal's decision largely stood. She noted the legal complexity surrounding whether MKs can run in districts and that the tribunal's ruling was flawed but not entirely invalid.

Justice Groskopf reiterated that the Likud party's internal tribunal is the proper body to decide such matters and that the court must respect its decisions. The Supreme Court thus signaled it would not intervene in the Likud tribunal's ruling, leaving the party to manage the primaries dispute internally.

The primaries are set to take place in five days, making the resolution of this issue urgent for the party's electoral preparations.