Likud Files Legal Challenge Against Supreme Court Judge Noam Sohlberg Over Election Reporting Rules

Ahead of the upcoming elections, the Likud party has filed a petition against Noam Sohlberg, the Deputy President of the Supreme Court and Chair of the Central Elections Committee. The petition challenges Sohlberg's decision issued on August 4, 2026, which prohibits party representatives at polling stations from reporting in real time to their campaign teams about voter presence, voting actions, or circumstances. Likud argues that this ruling constitutes a precedent-setting restriction that changes election rules mid-process, undermining the reliance interests of established parties, including Likud itself.

The petition questions whether Sohlberg has the administrative authority to enforce such a ban based on privacy concerns, arguing that protecting voter privacy is not within the Chair's legal powers to regulate election conduct. Likud further requests that if the ruling is not overturned, its application be postponed until after the 26th Knesset elections to preserve election stability and certainty, given the significant departure from longstanding practices.

The petition also asks the court to convert the conditional injunction into a permanent one and to grant any other relief deemed appropriate. The case highlights tensions over election oversight and the balance between voter privacy and party monitoring during voting.

The petition was submitted by Likud lawyer Ilan Bombach, and the matter awaits further judicial response and hearing.