Likud's hourglass has turned: submission of the list to the Knesset is in danger
The Supreme Court ordered the parties to respond by 16:30 to Likud's request to rule on the appeal of MK Afif Abed. The party warns that the delay endangers the primaries and the submission of the list to the Knesset. At the same time, Abed intends to file a complaint with Lahav 433.
The Supreme Court ordered the parties today, Wednesday, to respond urgently to Likud's request to rule today on the appeal of MK Afif Abed regarding the case of running in the districts. Justice Dafna Barak-Erez determined that the parties, and in particular Abed, must submit their responses by 16:30.
The decision was made after Likud turned urgently to the Supreme Court and requested that if it is not possible to advance the hearing on the appeal, which was set for tomorrow morning, a verdict should be given today based on the arguments already submitted in writing. The movement warns that without an immediate decision, it will not be possible to start printing the voting materials, and the primaries scheduled for August 17 may be postponed by at least two weeks. This delay could endanger Likud's ability to submit its list to the 26th Knesset on time.
The request was submitted against the backdrop of an unusual warning from the company managing the Likud primary system: if the printing work does not begin today, no later than 16:00, the execution of the primaries will be in danger. Likud claims that even waiting for the hearing scheduled for tomorrow morning could be too late operationally.
Abed is appealing the decision of the Likud Supreme Court not to allow incumbent and former MKs to run in the districts in the upcoming primaries. After his petition was rejected in the District Court, he turned to the Supreme Court. However, the legal dispute directly affects election materials and preparations for the vote. Printing more than half a million ballots and forms, along with preparing over 100 polling sites, involves significant costs, with printing alone exceeding 700,000 shekels and total contract obligations reaching about 8 million shekels.
If the primaries are postponed to August 31 or September 1, as suggested by the management company, Likud would face additional costs estimated at over 5.5 million shekels. Furthermore, the publication of results would only occur on September 3 or 4, making it impossible to meet the September 8 deadline for submitting the list to the 26th Knesset after the appeals process.
Parallel to the appeal: Abed intends to file a complaint with Lahav 433
Alongside the legal struggle surrounding his candidacy, MK Afif Abed intends to file a complaint with Lahav 433 against two judges from the Likud court. He claims they "lied to the District Court using a false and suspiciously forged document, which does not exist in the protocol nor in the court's decision and was transferred after the end of the hearing."
The Likud conference previously approved a proposal to allow incumbent MKs to run for district slots, but the Likud court disqualified the decision. Abed, who intended to run in the Galilee and Valleys district, filed a petition through attorney Guy Bossi, arguing that the court lacks the power to determine movement policy. The District Court rejected the petition, citing irregularities, but Abed claims the judges only "corrected" their position under pressure and now intends to pursue a forgery complaint.
