Court Keeps Likud Lawmakers and Ministers Out of District Primary Races

The Tel Aviv District Court rejected MK Afif Abed's bid to overturn the Likud Supreme Court tribunal's decision barring sitting and former lawmakers, ministers and deputy ministers from district slots in the party's coming primaries. Judge Yaakov Shaked accepted that district eligibility is a party-policy question but declined to disturb the tribunal's factual findings. The July 27 convention vote passed by only five votes, while five envelopes were missing and voter and ballot totals did not match. The ruling leaves the tribunal's cancellation in force, and the court ordered no legal costs.