Election Committee Orders Removal of Likud Ads Featuring Eisenkot with Arab Leaders

The head of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has ordered local authorities to remove Likud party campaign posters that depict Gadi Eisenkot alongside Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi. The decision came after a petition filed by the "Yashar" party, led by Eisenkot. The controversial billboards featured Arabic text and slogans such as "This is what a minority government looks like. This is not Yashar! This is the left." Sohlberg ruled that local authorities must personally oversee the removal of the posters, as Likud failed to comply with a previous judicial order issued on Tuesday. He also directed the Likud party to submit a report by Wednesday morning detailing the steps taken to implement the decision. The committee head indicated that he would consider imposing additional legal costs on the party.

The Yashar party stated that Likud and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believe they are above the law and are disregarding judicial rulings while continuing their incitement campaign based on falsehoods. Yashar asserted that after three days, the era of lies, incitement, and contempt for the law practiced by Netanyahu and Likud will end, and Israel will embark on a new path.

The Likud party responded by acknowledging the order to remove the posters featuring Eisenkot with Abbas and Tibi, and stated their intention to comply. However, Likud characterized the order as another attempt to conceal the fact that Eisenkot intends to form a "left-wing government" in cooperation with Ahmad Tibi, Mansour Abbas, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett. Likud claimed such a government would "surrender on all fronts" and fail to confront Iran.