Court Rejects Shas Petition Against Postponing Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Event

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, summarily dismissed a petition filed by the Shas party challenging the Attorney General's directive to postpone a state-sponsored memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef until after the upcoming elections. The petition was rejected due to a lack of jurisdiction, without Sohlberg ruling on the legal merits of the Attorney General's instruction or requiring a response from her office or the Ministry of Religious Services. Shas was ordered to pay the state 2,500 shekels in expenses.

Sohlberg clarified that the authority granted to the Elections Committee chairman is intended to prevent violations of election propaganda laws, not to issue advisory opinions on the legality of government directives. He stated that Shas had not identified any specific violation and that the committee's role is to prevent propaganda, not to provide preemptive legal interpretations or rulings. The judge emphasized that his decision did not validate the Attorney General's position or dismiss Shas's arguments, leaving them open for consideration by a more appropriate legal body.

The ruling means Shas can pursue the matter in a different court with the proper jurisdiction. The Attorney General's directive, which prohibits holding the memorial event before the elections, remains in effect. The event, scheduled for October 8-10, 2026, was to commemorate Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual leader of Shas and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi. The general elections are set for October 28, 2026.

Shas had argued that the event is mandated by law to honor Rabbi Yosef and that the Attorney General's directive transforms a statutory obligation into an administrative prohibition. The party proposed strict limitations, such as prohibiting political speeches or party symbols, to prevent the event from becoming election propaganda. Shas contended that the memorial's primary purpose is religious and educational, and that Rabbi Yosef's historical significance extends beyond Shas, citing similar state commemorations for figures like Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin. They argued that the Attorney General's approach was overly harsh and that specific restrictions would suffice, preventing the event from being disconnected from its intended timing and the anniversary of Rabbi Yosef's passing.