Likud lawmakers, ministers forbidden from running in regional primary slots, Likud court rules
The ruling blocked a move promoted by Netanyahu and the chairman of the party’s Constitution Committee, Minister Haim Katz, which had been approved by just a five votes majority.
The Likud Court has overturned a key decision made by the Likud convention, ruling that current and former lawmakers, ministers, and deputy ministers will not be permitted to run in regional slots in the primaries. The ruling cancels a move promoted by Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu and the chairman of the party's Constitution Committee, Minister Haim Katz, which had been approved by the convention by a narrow margin.
The court also returned the 35th place on the Likud list to the national slate instead of reserving it for a woman, defined the concept of an immigrant as someone who moved to Israel after January 1, 1990, and extended the deadline for submitting candidacies by 48 hours. However, the eight reserved slots granted to Netanyahu by the convention will remain in effect.
The decision was issued by an expanded panel of five judges following a lengthy hearing, and while four members of the panel supported overturning the convention's decision, one judge issued a dissenting opinion. The ruling has significant political implications, as lawmakers who sought to run in regional slots now lose that option, while Netanyahu retains eight reserved slots to shape the final list.
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