Judge questions if Likud court overstepped authority in clash over party primary rules

A Tel Aviv District Court judge, Yaakov Shaked, questioned whether the Likud's internal court overstepped its authority in a dispute regarding primary rules. The case, brought by Likud MK Afif Abed, challenges a party tribunal's decision to invalidate a narrowly approved change that would allow serving MKs and ministers to compete for district slots in the upcoming primaries. Judge Shaked focused on whether a civil court should intervene in internal party matters and specifically questioned if the tribunal had the power to effectively overturn a vote without a clear finding that irregularities were severe enough to invalidate the result. He also scrutinized the tribunal's interpretation of party equality provisions and its authority to determine party policy. The hearing concluded without a ruling, with a written judgment expected later.