Likud MKs barred from running in party district primaries

The Tel Aviv District Court has issued a final ruling preventing sitting Knesset members, ministers, and deputy ministers from running for district slots in the Likud party primaries. The court rejected a petition filed by Likud member Afif Abed that sought to overturn a previous decision by the party's internal court.

Judges cited two primary reasons for the decision. First, they identified a material flaw in the Likud convention vote, noting a discrepancy of five votes between registered voters and actual votes counted. Given the narrow margin of the original decision, this discrepancy was deemed significant. Second, the court ruled that sitting officials possess an inherent advantage that would unfairly undermine the principle of equality for new candidates.

As a result, district slots—including positions 27, 28, 30, and 31 on the final list—will remain reserved exclusively for new candidates. This ruling represents a significant political setback for current party officials who had hoped to use district runs to secure easier paths to the Knesset list.