Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg ordered Likud on Friday to remove election campaign posters targeting Gadi Eisenkot by 3:30 p.m., ruling that the advertisements could mislead voters just days before Israel’s Knesset elections.

The posters, written in Arabic, feature Eisenkot alongside several opposition leaders and Arab politicians, including Ahmad Tibi and Mansour Abbas, in an apparent attempt to associate Eisenkot’s Yashar party with the Arab parties.

The ruling followed a petition filed by Yashar, which argued that Likud had deliberately designed the advertisements to resemble its own campaign materials, creating the false impression that the posters had been published by Eisenkot’s party.

Sohlberg determined that the advertisements could mislead voters about possible political cooperation between Yashar and the other parties featured on the posters.

He also rejected the argument that the Arabic writing sufficiently identified Likud as the organization responsible for the advertisements.

According to the judge, the posters were displayed in areas where most residents do not speak Arabic, meaning many voters would be unable to identify who was behind the campaign.

The dispute began Thursday when Yashar contacted Likud’s legal adviser, attorney Ilan Bombach, demanding the immediate removal of the advertisements.

The posters featured Eisenkot alongside Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, Yair Golan, Ahmad Tibi, and Mansour Abbas, using colors similar to those appearing in Yashar’s official campaign materials.

One advertisement was displayed along Begin Road in Yerushalayim, near genuine Yashar election posters bearing similar colors and designs.

Likud’s campaign is part of a broader effort to portray Eisenkot as politically aligned with Arab parties, particularly following previous statements by Tibi regarding possible cooperation to replace Netanyahu’s government.

Following the petition, Sohlberg ordered Likud to remove the advertisements nationwide before Shabbos, setting a deadline of 3:30 p.m. Friday.

The judge said the detailed reasoning behind his decision would be published separately.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)