Court blocks Likud vote on disputed primary rules

A planned Likud party vote to determine new rules for selecting its candidate list was halted Thursday by a court injunction. The Lod District Court issued the order after accepting a petition from the Social Forum, which is affiliated with the National Labor Federation.

The vote, scheduled to begin at noon, was intended to shape the Likud's candidate list for the 26th Knesset election. Likud officials confirmed no vote would take place following the court's decision. The party's legal advisor had requested a postponement due to delays in legal proceedings.

The Social Forum argued that the Likud administration directly violated a party court ruling by preventing the forum's proposed election rules from being presented for a vote. These rules were designed to ensure broad participation, including for people with disabilities. The court's temporary order bars the Likud from holding the vote unless the forum's proposal is also presented to delegates, aligning with a Supreme Court ruling.

"This is a victory for common sense," the Social Forum stated. "We will not allow the Likud elections to be stolen. The Social Forum affiliated with the National Labor Federation will continue to serve as the protective vest of the Likud’s 150,000 members."

The convention was expected to draw about 4,500 delegates. At the heart of the dispute were election rules approved by the Likud Constitution Committee, which would grant the party chairman eight reserved positions on the list. Six of these slots would be within the top 20, potentially pushing candidates elected in primaries further down. This represented a shift from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's initial demand for up to 11 reserved spots.

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This is a victory for common sense. We will not allow the Likud elections to be stolen. The Social Forum affiliated with the National Labor Federation will continue to serve as the protective vest of the Likud’s 150,000 members.