Election czar okays Ben Gvir address at police event after promise not to campaign

Sohlberg says far-right minister ‘committed, including with an affidavit, not to deliver a campaign speech’ after petition looked to prevent him from speaking at all

By ToI Staff 24 August 2026, 12:14 pm

Edit

Otzma Yehudit party chairman and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a conference in Petah Tikva, central Israel, August 16, 2026. (Erik Marmor/Flash90)

Central Elections Committee judge Noam Sohlberg on Monday gave the go ahead for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to take part in an event for police volunteers Monday night, after the Otzma Yehudit leader promised not to use the appearance for campaign purposes.

A petition had been filed seeking to block Ben Gvir from participating in the Tel Aviv confab, citing concerns that he would misuse his official position to stump for electoral support.

In his decision, Sohlberg, a Supreme Court justice tasked with adjudicating campaign disputes, noted that “Ben Gvir committed, including with an affidavit, not to deliver a campaign speech at the event at issue in the petition.”

Sohlberg explained that he preferred to reach a quick decision on the matter as the conference was set to take place shortly after the petition was filed, and added that “no party is permitted to campaign at this event.”

Sohlberg also recommended that Ben Gvir submit a draft of his speech to legal advisers to ensure it complies, but did not require that he do so.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara had partially backed the petition, submitting an opinion that Ben Gvir be allowed to attend the event but not deliver an address.

Central Elections Committee acting director general Dean Livne (left) and chairman Noam Sohlberg meet with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in the Knesset, August 2, 2026. (Central Elections Committee)

According to the Haaretz daily, citing law enforcement sources, Ben Gvir’s office initiated the conference, not police, and he had originally intended to use the platform to deliver a stump speech on his achievements as minister in front of a crowd of thousands of officers.

However, after few officers purchased tickets to the event, Ben Gvir’s office reportedly pushed police to open the sale to officers and their family members, with sources telling the paper that commanders were exerting “heavy pressure” on staff and volunteers to attend. He also looked to sweeten the deal by getting famous pop singers Moshe Peretz and Ivri Lider to perform at the event.

The paper also reported that Ben Gvir’s ministry, which has long been accused of politicizing the force, was initially supposed to fund the event, but due to legal issues, it could only be funded directly through the Israel Police.

Police Commissioner Danny Levy and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir seen during a ceremony at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, on September 15, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/ Flash90)

Over the past several weeks, the Central Elections Committee has also ordered Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot to take down a campaign video featuring AI-generated images of IDF soldiers “engaged in various military activities,” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove a video posted online featuring him meeting and taking selfies with children at the Malha Mall in Jerusalem.

It also ordered on Sunday that the ultra-Orthodox Shas party remove a campaign video published a day earlier that featured an IDF soldier, after a complaint was filed by Eisenkot’s party.

Shas initially refused to take down the campaign video, but reversed course after a number of hours, and issued a statement slamming Sohlberg for the decision.