The dispute over the holding of local elections on January 30 during the war, at the site, will reach the High Court of Justice tomorrow.
The hearing will unite about 14 claimants who are running for the position of head of the authority or for the council of the authority and who are simultaneously serving in active reserve duty. They claim that the elections cannot be held on the scheduled date (after it has already been postponed once every three months – from the end of October this year) and that as of today, in the current situation, their ability to run and be elected is impaired. Some of the petitioners want to postpone the elections to February 27, while others want to postpone them for 90 days from the moment the end of the war is declared.
Local elections (illustrative), photo: Noam Rivkin Fenton
A few days ago, it was revealed that almost 4,000 reservists are running in the elections. Among the petitioners are senior reserve officers such as Lt. Col. (res.) Eldar Sivan who serves in the 162nd Division, Col. (res.) Amir Ellenberg who serves in the north, Lt. Col. (res.) Lavi Zamir who serves as a Nahal brigade sergeant, Yaron Rosenthal a combat soldier in the 55th Battalion and more.
The petition states that they "do not see reserve service only as an obligation, but as a right to be part of the fighting," adding that they feel that they have been left "in an impossible situation in which they are forced to choose between their right and duty to serve in significant reserve service and their right to run in local elections."
They also argue that municipal elections that end with a margin of only tens or hundreds of votes cannot take place when many reservists will not be able to vote due to operational constraints. And that releasing the reserves for the sake of elections could also undermine the military's efforts in combat.
Goltib to the Prime Minister: "Don't excuse me that there are polling stations in Gaza and that an order has been given to release candidates. No fighter will leave his soldiers on the battlefield. I'll count up to 3 before your advisers throw slime at me."
Sources who oppose holding elections on time explain that in addition to these arguments, mayors who do not serve in the reserves because they run the authorities have a significant advantage, during the war they set up WhatsApp groups with each and every neighborhood, conduct situation assessments, set up alert squads, conduct patrols, set up war rooms, and while this is an important and substantial activity, it also has a political reward on its side. It was also claimed that the thought that there would be a traveling polling station in the Gaza Strip was delusional.
MK Tali Gottlieb, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The coalition agrees to the postponement
The Local Government Center, which wishes to hold the elections at the appointed time, asked to join the petition as respondents. The application claims that the political and security elements determine that the elections must be held on time, since in any case the candidates in the elections who are currently in reserve service are entitled to be released from service and conduct their campaigns in an orderly manner. In addition, the professionals say that soldiers fighting in Gaza will also be able to vote. According to them, the continuation of the transition period harms the ability of the mayors to make decisions and function properly at this time.
I am ashamed that the Prime Minister is considering not postponing the municipal elections. You, sir, are sending our heroic soldiers to reserve duty and you have no right to violate their basic right to vote and be elected. There is no warrior who will leave his troops on the battlefield
Aspur until 3 before your advisers throw slime at me
— Tali Gottlieb (@TallyGotliv) December 26, 2023
Likud MK Tali Gottlieb attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a rather unusual tweet, writing on X (formerly Twitter): "I am ashamed that the Prime Minister is considering not postponing the municipal elections. You, sir, send our heroic soldiers to reserve duty and you have no right to violate their basic right to vote and be elected. Don't excuse me that there are polling stations in Gaza and that an order has been given to release candidates. No fighter will leave his soldiers on the battlefield. I'll count to 3 before your advisers throw slime at me."
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It should be noted that all the coalition leaders agree to the postponement except for Likud members.
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