Israeli Supreme Court to Hear Likud Petition Against Judge Noam Solberg's Election Data Ban

The Israeli Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday to consider a petition filed by the Likud party against Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg, who also serves as chairman of the Central Elections Committee. Justice Solberg recently prohibited the real-time publication of voter turnout percentages and voter identities at polling stations via a dedicated app. Likud argues that this ban constitutes a significant last-minute change to established election rules, adversely affecting parties, particularly ultra-Orthodox factions, that have relied heavily on such real-time data to mobilize voters.

The case presents a unique judicial challenge as the Supreme Court justices will be ruling on a petition opposing one of their own colleagues. The court must decide whether to uphold Justice Solberg's decision or side with the petitioners seeking to overturn the ban. This dispute highlights tensions around election transparency and the use of voter data in Israel's political process.