Supreme Court Deputy Chief Warns Elections May Enter Crisis Phase

Justice Noam Sohlberg, the deputy president of Israel’s Supreme Court and chairman of the Central Elections Committee, issued an unusual warning on Tuesday evening ahead of the coming elections. Speaking at an event at the Hebrew University, he said that election periods can reach a moment of crisis in which the line between what is permitted and what is forbidden becomes blurred.

Sohlberg did not detail a specific incident or threat, but framed his remarks as a general alert to prepare in advance for difficult electoral moments. As the head of the Central Elections Committee, he is responsible for overseeing the conduct of the vote and addressing disputes that arise during the campaign and on election day.

His comments were delivered publicly at the university gathering and were notable because they came from the judicial official who will help supervise the election process. He stressed, in essence, that institutions and the public should be ready for a crisis in elections and for situations in which legal boundaries may become less clear.