Top Elections Judge Says Wartime Delay Could Be Justified, If Strictly Limited

Central Elections Committee chair and Supreme Court Vice President Noam Sohlberg said on Tuesday at a closed Hebrew University conference that postponing the next election could be justified in an emergency, but only under narrow safeguards. He said that if there is a state of emergency in which free, equal, and accessible elections for all voters cannot be held, a delay that is limited, supervised, and well reasoned may be appropriate, as long as it does not become a tool for the government to extend its own term.

Sohlberg tied the warning to what he described as unprecedented challenges facing the next election, including the war, the continued displacement of residents from their homes, deep social divisions, and the influence of artificial intelligence.

He also said the election system is already under unusual strain even before the formal campaign period begins. According to Sohlberg, petitions involving election advertising have surged, and the number of cases brought before him in this area has already reached about 70.

He added that even though the country has not yet entered the official election period, the current tally surpassed the workload from the previous election cycle two to three weeks earlier than before. He said there were already more proceedings on election advertising than the total handled in the previous campaign up to Election Day.