The chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Noam Sohlberg, on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by the Likud party against Naftali Bennett and the "Bennett 2026" party.
The petition was filed following a social media post announcing the appointment of (Retired) Deputy Commissioner Ami Eshed as the party’s head of election integrity, which featured a photo of him in uniform and saluting.
Likud argued that the post constituted an illegal use of public assets - specifically the police uniform and the reputation of a senior officer - for election propaganda purposes. The petitioner sought the removal of the advertisement and requested that financial penalties be imposed on the respondents.
Justice Sohlberg rejected these arguments, ruling that an individual's professional reputation belongs to them personally and is not a public asset. "He who gains a good name, gains it for himself," the Justice noted in his decision. He further determined that the photo was found via a general internet search and that there was no proof it was taken by a public body, such as the Government Press Office (GPO).
Additionally, the judge emphasized that the accompanying text explicitly clarified that Eshed is a retired Deputy Commissioner and that the appointment was based on his personal qualifications. Regarding the demand for a fine, it was clarified that the Chairman of the Elections Committee lacks the authority to impose fines under the Penal Law.
Following the dismissal of the petition, Likud was ordered to pay 10,000 shekels in legal expenses to Naftali Bennett and his party. The Justice chose not to award expenses to the Israel Police, citing an unexplained delay in filing their response to the case.