Likud court probing if Netanyahu’s ballot in key internal vote forged — report

By Sam Sokol 2 August 2026, 8:17 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu casts his vote during the elections for the Likud Central Committee, at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, November 25, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)

An internal Likud party court is currently investigating whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ballot in last week’s Central Committee vote was forged, after a petitioner against the results presented evidence that a vote was cast in the premier’s name despite the fact that he did not do so, the Ynet news site reports.

A spokesman for Likud denies the report, stating that, “of course, this is fake news. There is no such review by the tribunal.”

Last week, Likud’s roughly 4,500-member Central Committee approved a proposal to significantly expand Netanyahu’s control over the party’s Knesset slate, granting him eight reserved slots in the top 29 places on the list ahead of the October 27 election.

The vote came a day after Likud’s internal court struck down Netanyahu’s bid to allow the party to cancel its August 17 primary in the event of a “wartime situation” and instead select candidates through an appointed committee controlled by the premier.

The motion passed despite rare public dissent from within Likud, led by MK David Bitan, who argued it would push incumbent lawmakers down the list in favor of Netanyahu’s handpicked candidates.

Members of the Central Committee also narrowly approved another proposal regarding allowing party incumbents to run in the upcoming party primary in specific districts.

According to Ynet, the possibility of a fraudulent vote cast in Netanyahu’s name came up during a hearing in an internal party court examining complaints that the vote on the second proposal was tainted, as its passage had originally been said to have been by a majority of five votes but later examination showed only a majority of two. There have been multiple allegations of fraud by party members.