Israeli Election Chief Orders Netanyahu to Remove State Symbols from Social Media Post

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Acting Supreme Court President Judge Noam Sohlberg, issued an order Tuesday evening demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately remove state symbols from an illustration shared on his social media accounts, or remove the illustration entirely. The decision came in the form of an interim order following a petition filed by the "Voters in Israel" organization, which alleged prohibited use of public assets for election propaganda.

The petition was prompted by a post on Netanyahu's personal and political accounts where he praised a candidate who had withdrawn from another list and urged the remaining members of that list to also withdraw. The post included an illustration with the caption "Important Update from the Prime Minister," which featured the state symbol twice.

Sohlberg referenced Section 2a of the Elections Law (Propaganda Methods) of 1959, which prohibits the use of public tangible or intangible assets in election propaganda. He emphasized that the state symbol has repeatedly been ruled an intangible public asset, subject to legal restrictions. "On the face of it, and without making a final determination, the text in the publication subject to the petition appears to be election propaganda," Sohlberg wrote. He noted the state symbol appeared twice in the accompanying illustration and concluded, "It has been sufficiently proven at this stage of the discussion that the publication involves a violation of the aforementioned Section 2a."

While not a final ruling, Sohlberg found sufficient grounds for an interim order due to the alleged violation. He also cited the swiftness with which the petition was filed. The order applies to all of Netanyahu's social media accounts and requires immediate compliance. The interim order remains in effect until further notice. Netanyahu must submit his response to the petition by October 16, 2026, at 10:00 AM, after which the proceedings will continue. The petition names Netanyahu, in his capacity as Prime Minister and Likud chairman, and the Attorney General as respondents. The petitioner, "Voters in Israel," is represented by attorney Ram Pardes. Sohlberg also referred to previous rulings on the use of the state symbol in election propaganda, including a 2019 case also involving Netanyahu, clarifying that the prohibition is a long-standing principle.