A Jerusalem District Court judge has cleared the way for the Likud Party to move forward with preparations for its primaries, lifting a temporary injunction and allowing the party conference to convene by June 25 to approve primary election regulations.

The ruling came after eight Likud members sought to block the conference, citing alleged irregularities in the party’s November 2025 conference elections, including claims involving the voter registry, candidate lists, and polling procedures. The court, however, found no basis to intervene in the Likud tribunal’s decision and ruled that the internal party process should proceed.

According to the decision, the party conference will be limited to matters directly related to the primaries, including approving election rules and selecting temporary leadership positions. The court emphasized that the allegations regarding the conference elections remain under review and have not yet been resolved on their merits.

One of the central claims raised by petitioners involved allegations that approximately 28,000 party members — about 21% of those listed in the voter registry — may not have personally paid their membership dues. The decision noted that reviews had uncovered suspicions of possible criminal misconduct connected to the voter rolls and candidate lists, issues that remain under examination.

Likud officials argued that the party faces a tight election timetable, with voter rolls expected to close on July 6 and national elections anticipated on October 20, 2026. The court accepted the urgency argument, ruling that delaying the conference could interfere with the party’s preparations for the upcoming election cycle.

While the injunction has been lifted and the conference may proceed, the underlying legal challenge seeking to invalidate the conference elections remains pending, meaning the allegations of irregularities have not yet been finally adjudicated.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)