High Court rejects Sharren Haskel's petition against Likud: 'Clearly political in nature'

The High Court of Justice rejected MK Sharren Haskel's petition against Likud and New Hope, which sought to prevent the implementation of their merger agreement. The court based its decision on a clear delay in filing the petition and judicial restraint, ruling that the agreement is clearly political in nature and does not warrant intervention.

The Supreme Court today (Sunday) rejected MK Sharren Haskel's petition against the Likud and New Hope factions, which aimed to prevent the implementation of their merger agreement before the formal process was completed. A panel of three judges, headed by President Yitzhak Amit, dismissed the petition on the merits, citing two reasons: a clear delay in filing, as the merger agreement was signed in March 2025, while Haskel only filed in July 2026, days before the 'determining date' for election funding; and judicial restraint, as the court avoids intervening in clearly political matters except in exceptional cases of illegality. The ruling stated that the agreements between Likud and the National Right Party are clearly political in nature, and the greater the political component, the greater the restraint required. It also noted that there is no claim that the agreement of 14.7.2026 is illegal or contrary to public policy. Background: About a month ago, Haskel resigned as Deputy Foreign Minister in protest over the approval of the immunity law for defectors, which she saw as harming equality in burden-sharing, amid the haredi conscription crisis.