Central Elections Committee Director-General Orly Ades announced her decision to step down from her position on Thursday after 16 years in office.
She delivered her resignation to Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg on Wednesday. In his official statement, Sohlberg noted that Ades did not accept his request to remain in her position until after the upcoming elections.
"I regret this, but I respect her decision," Solberg wrote, expressing deep appreciation for Ades' work over the years. According to him, she has fulfilled her role "with endless professionalism and determination," out of a commitment to improving the electoral process, maintaining its fairness, and ensuring the purity of the elections.
Ades has served as Director General of the Central Elections Committee since 2010. During her term, she managed seven election campaigns, including five consecutive campaigns between 2019 and 2022, through one of the most turbulent political periods in Israeli history.
According to Solberg's statement, Ades had led a series of complex management processes over the years, which significantly improved the committee's ability to respond to the challenges involved in holding the elections.
Central Elections Committee to continue preparing for upcoming elections
Despite the sensitive timing, Solberg wanted to emphasize that Ades acted with public responsibility, having announced her decision in a way that would allow the committee to hold a proper and transparent process for selecting a replacement.
Ades will continue to serve in her position until the end of July, in full function, in order to maintain the current work routine and carry out an orderly overlap.
In his statement, Solberg clarified that the committee's work continues as usual. He emphasized that the committee's employees are working "day and night" out of a sense of mission, in order to prepare for the upcoming election period.
"The committee will continue to act professionally and determinedly to ensure the public interest, which is common to all of us, in holding fair, equal and free elections - the core of Israeli democracy," Solberg said.