ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg ordered local authorities on Saturday night to remove Likud campaign signs after the party failed to comply with an order issued following a petition by the Yashar party.

The signs show photos of Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman, and Yair Golan alongside Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi, with Arabic text, in a design using Yashar’s party colors.

Eisenkot heads the Yashar party, Liberman leads Yisrael Beytenu, Golan heads the Democrats party, and Bennett chairs the B'Yachad party. Abbas heads the Ra’am party, and Tibi is a longtime Arab Israeli MK and leader of Ta’al.

According to Yashar, the signs identify the campaign only in Arabic. As Likud lacked clear party identification, the party argued the public could attribute the ads to Yashar or think they were published with its consent.

Sohlberg accepted Yashar’s petition, ruling that the signs could mislead the public about the party’s political ties. He added that the Arabic text neither removes the deception nor fulfills the duty of transparency.

Controversial Likud election campaign signage, which the Central Elections Committee ordered taken down just days before elections.
Controversial Likud election campaign signage, which the Central Elections Committee ordered taken down just days before elections. (credit: VIA WALLA/SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)

However, after Likud failed to comply with the order, Sohlberg made an unusual decision requiring the local authorities to remove the signs themselves.

He also ordered Likud to report by Sunday morning on the steps it had taken to carry out the decision, and made clear that he would consider awarding additional costs.

'The State of Israel will set out on a new path'

“The Likud and Netanyahu think they are above the law, flout judicial decisions and continue their propaganda of lies. In three days, the era of lies, incitement and contempt for the law of Netanyahu and the Likud will end. The State of Israel will set out on a new path,” Yashar said in a statement.

In response, Likud said it intends to act in accordance with the judge’s decision.

“This is an illegitimate attempt by the petitioners to hide the fact that Eisenkot intends to form a left-wing government together with Ahmad Tibi, Mansour Abbas, Yair Golan, Liberman and Bennett, which will surrender on all fronts and will not defeat Iran,” Likud said.