MK Bitan Challenges Likud Central Committee Vote Results Over "Serious Irregularities"

MK David Bitan filed an appeal on Monday against the results of the recent Likud movement vote, alleging widespread fraud. In a letter to the chairman of the Likud election committee, retired judge Menachem Neeman, Bitan requested an urgent meeting of the committee to conduct a thorough investigation into a series of serious irregularities that occurred during the convention vote on bylaw proposals.

In the appeal, submitted via attorney Yifat Mairovich-Yafet, Bitan claimed that polling station workers were instructed by Likud officials not to record objections in official protocols, in violation of election bylaws. He cited specific instances across the country where, according to his account, valid votes cast against the proposal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud Central Committee Chairman Haim Katz were counted as invalid, while invalid votes in favor of the proposal were counted as valid.

"Someone brought from the outside—it is not certain that he is Likud," Bitan remarked regarding the leadership's strategy.

Likud activist Dor Harlap also filed a court petition alleging significant flaws in the voting process, supported by affidavits from observers in Kfar Saba, Petah Tikva, and Beersheba.

Netanyahu viewed the vote as a critical component of his election strategy, pushing for the establishment of a steering committee in place of traditional primaries. He requested eight reserved spots on the party list (positions 5, 9, 11, 15, 18, 23, 26, and 29). As reported by ynet, one spot is earmarked for Minister Haim Katz, while another is intended for Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

Ultimately, following three postponements and significant internal friction, the Likud Central Committee approved the Prime Minister's request for eight reserved spots. However, the initiative to allow incumbent ministers and MKs to run in districts passed by a razor-thin margin of only five votes: 1,678 in favor versus 1,673 against.