Court Rejects Bid to Overturn Shas Election Tactic Over Kippah Distribution
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
The Central Elections Committee rejected a petition by Yisrael Beiteinu against Shas over the distribution of kippot bearing Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's image in Afula. Justice Noam Sohlberg ruled the distribution to activists was not an illegal gift to voters. Shas was ordered to remove kippot from a campaign stand for clarity.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Justice Noam Sohlberg rejected Yisrael Beiteinu's petition against Shas regarding kippah distribution.
- The petition claimed Shas illegally gave kippot with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's image to voters in Afula.
- Shas argued the kippot were for party activists, not voters, for identification and branding.
- The court ruled the distribution did not violate the prohibition on gifts to voters.
- Shas was ordered to remove kippot from a campaign stand to avoid voter confusion.
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Deputy Supreme Court President Justice Noam Sohlberg, has dismissed a petition filed by the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party against the "Shas" party. The petition alleged that Shas representatives illegally distributed kippot bearing the image and name of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to voters outside a polling station in Afula on election day. Yisrael Beiteinu claimed this violated election law regarding prohibited gifts. In its response, supported by an affidavit from its director-general, Shas stated that the kippot were distributed only to party activists for identification and branding purposes, similar to branded hats, and not to voters. Shas also clarified that its activists were instructed not to distribute the kippot to the general public. Justice Sohlberg accepted Shas's position, ruling that the distribution did not constitute a prohibited gift to voters. However, to ensure order and prevent any doubt among voters, he instructed Shas to remove the kippot from a campaign stand that was photographed as part of the petition.
