Court ruling10/25/2026

Judge Permits Soldiers to Passively Listen to Election Speeches

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, dismissed a petition against the Religious Zionism party and its leader, Bezalel Smotrich. He ruled that students at hesder yeshivas who are serving in regular military service may attend party events as passive listeners, but may not actively participate in election campaigning.

Key facts

•Body: Central Elections Committee
•Chairman: Justice Noam Sohlberg
•Date of decision: October 25, 2026
•Respondents: Religious Zionism and Bezalel Smotrich
•Legal costs: 6,000 shekels
•The case number and the law applied were not stated

What Sparked the Dispute

The petition was filed by the State Education Guard organization following the election campaign conducted by Religious Zionism and Smotrich at hesder yeshivas throughout the country. Students at these educational institutions include soldiers in regular military service.

What the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee Decided

Sohlberg concluded that the soldiers’ participation was limited to attending events at which support was expressed for the Religious Zionism party and the right-wing bloc. According to his decision, soldiers may listen passively to political speeches, but they are prohibited from engaging in active campaign activity.

Legal Costs

The justice ordered the organization that filed the petition to pay legal costs of 6,000 shekels. The case number and the specific statutory provision on which the decision was based were not stated in the source.

What this means for you

For soldiers studying at hesder yeshivas, the decision draws a line between attendance and political activity. They may listen to party speeches, but may not actively participate in campaigning; the source does not clarify which specific actions would be considered active participation.

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