$200 for not voting in elections: Sohlberg halts the mechanism of the Satmar Hasidic sect

Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg issued a temporary injunction barring an organization affiliated with the Satmar Hasidic sect from offering $200 to voters in exchange for a pledge not to vote in the Knesset elections. The order was issued following a petition alleging that the organization operates a system called "Shekel HaTahor," under which some 12,000 new individuals registered and signed a commitment not to participate in the elections. The Satmar move is rooted in the sect's long-standing anti-Zionist stance, which opposes participation in state institutions. Sohlberg ruled that the evidence attached to the petition establishes a "grave concern of a violation of the law that goes to the root of election laws," justifying the issuance of a temporary injunction even before a decision on the petition. Section 122 of the Knesset Elections Law prohibits giving or offering bribes to influence a voter to vote or refrain from voting, with a penalty of up to five years in prison. The order was issued under Section 17b of the Elections Law (Propaganda Methods), which allows the committee chairman to intervene during the election campaign and halt the act at the center of the petition, without waiting for criminal proceedings. At this stage, the organization has not yet responded to the petition, and Sohlberg has not ruled that an offense was committed. As long as the order is in effect, the organization is prohibited from granting, offering, or promising money to influence voters not to vote. Violation of the order may lead to the activation of the contempt of court procedure.