Likud Court Bars Netanyahu from Canceling Party Primaries

The supreme court of Israel’s Likud party rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to amend the party’s internal rules so he could cancel the upcoming primary elections if the security situation worsened. The ruling reaffirmed that the party’s candidates must be chosen by its members and instructed the leadership to prepare for electronic voting should physical polling stations be unavailable, describing electronic voting as far preferable to abandoning the election entirely.

The decision was issued ahead of the primaries scheduled for 17 August, amid broader discussions about recent financing reforms that allocate funds to Likud Knesset members and ministers for their primary campaigns.