Israel Election Body Orders Likud to Remove Controversial Opposition Posters

Israel's Central Elections Committee has ordered the Likud party to remove controversial campaign posters that appeared to mislead voters. The posters, placed in Jerusalem and along major roads near Tel Aviv, featured several opposition figures, including Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Yaïr Golan, and Avigdor Lieberman, alongside Arab political leaders Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi. The Likud's campaign aimed to associate its rivals with potential alliances with Arab parties. The posters mimicked the graphic style and colors of Eisenkot's Yashar party, with inscriptions in Arabic, and did not clearly identify the Likud as the sponsor in Hebrew. The Yashar party complained to the Central Elections Committee, arguing the posters were designed to falsely suggest an official endorsement or alliance. Committee President Judge Noam Sohlberg ruled that the posters could mislead voters about political connections between the depicted parties. He also stated that the Arabic inscription identifying the Likud was insufficient for transparency, especially in Hebrew-speaking areas. The judge mandated the removal of all such posters nationwide and required the Likud to publicly declare in Hebrew that it was behind the campaign.