Israeli Supreme Court Judge Orders Shas Party to Remove Campaign Video Featuring Soldier

Noam Sohlberg, chairman of Israel's Central Elections Committee and a Supreme Court justice, has ordered the Shas party and its leader Aryeh Deri to remove a campaign video from all their social media accounts. The video, posted on August 22 on Deri's X account, was challenged by the "Yisrael Im Eizenkot" party for allegedly using IDF soldiers and uniforms, as well as party list letters, in violation of election laws. The petition requested an injunction to remove the video and halt any further distribution across social media, websites, messaging groups, and other media channels.

In his decision, Sohlberg differentiated between parts of the petition, denying an interim injunction on one claim but granting it on others. He mandated the immediate removal of the video and prohibited any further dissemination by Shas or Deri. This interim order was issued before the respondents submitted their full response to the petition. The court also set a deadline for Shas and Deri to file their response by August 25, 2026, at noon. Further rulings on the petition's issues are expected after the response is reviewed.