Judge Solberg responded to the Shas petition: "I have no authority to intervene"

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, responded today (Friday) to the Shas party's petition against the Attorney General's decision, claiming that he has no authority to review or cancel her directive to postpone the state memorial assembly for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef until after the elections.

The legal drama began following the Attorney General's office decision to ban the event on its original date, citing concerns over violating election propaganda laws. This is despite the fact that it is a state event held for several years by virtue of the Rabbi's Heritage Law passed in the Knesset, intended to mark the day of the Rabbi's passing, which falls on the 3rd of Cheshvan.

In the Shas petition against Gali Baharav-Miara, the party requested that the judge cancel the directive and determine that it is not propaganda, but a religious-cultural event dealing with the Rabbi's Torah and Halachic figure. In response, Solberg argued that in accordance with the provisions of the law that grant him only defined powers, he does not have the legal ability to cancel the Attorney General's instruction or issue a declaratory order approving such an event in advance.

The judge also clarified that his ruling does not express an opinion on the merits of the matter or agreement with the arguments raised by the Attorney General, thereby leaving the issue for other legal proceedings. The Attorney General's move sparked great anger in the Shas movement, which published in response, among other things, a sharp AI video in which the figure of Baharav-Miara is seen smilingly erasing the figure of the Rabbi and his legacy.

The party clarified:

"We will not be silent for the honor of the Rabbi"

and accused the Attorney General of blatantly trampling on the law and hurting the feelings of millions of tradition-keepers who wish to honor the Rabbi's memory. Following Solberg's response, Shas is now preparing for the continuation of the legal struggle, with a petition to the Supreme Court on the table, or alternatively, holding a mass assembly without any government support, with the aim of carrying out the commemoration of the Rabbi on its date despite the legal attempts to prevent it.