Central Elections Committee Director-General Adv. Orly Ades has announced her resignation.
Ades has served in the post since 2010, leading seven election cycles and overseeing the complex management of the Knesset election process.
The resignation comes less than six months before the next elections for the Knesset, which are scheduled for October 27th, 2026, and are predicted to be one of the most heated cycles the nation has ever seen.
Central Elections Committee Chairman Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg reacted to the announcement, noting that he attempted to convince Ades to remain in her post.
According to Justice Sohlberg, the Director-General did not give in to his pleas to continue serving in the position at least until the end of the upcoming election cycle.
"I'm sorry about that, but I respect her decision. She will continue in the position until the end of July to train her successor," Justice Sohlberg stated.
In parallel with the announcement, it was revealed this morning in Yedioth Ahronoth that President Yitzhak Herzog intervened in the affair about eight months ago.
According to the report, Herzog asked Sohlberg not to limit Ades's term, fearing that her immediate resignation at the time would hurt public trust.
Herzog intervened after Sohlberg considered limiting the Director-General's tenure following the State Comptroller's recommendation. Ades clarified that if her tenure were to be limited, she would immediately resign, raising serious concerns in the political system and the Election Committee about the lack of professional management in an election year.
Reports regarding Ades's intentions to resign last September led to widespread public criticism, particularly from supporters of opposition parties. They claimed that the exit of such a major and experienced official at a time like this could harm the integrity of the democratic process and voters' trust in the committee