Gadi Eisenkot Threatens Legal Action Against Bezalel Smotrich Over AI Campaign Video

Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar!" party has sent an urgent warning letter to Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionist party, threatening legal action over a campaign video created using artificial intelligence. The video, posted on Smotrich's X account, depicts the President of the Supreme Court Isaac Amit, Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara allegedly participating in a political protest against Smotrich, being forcibly removed by police.

The "Yashar!" party, represented by attorney Uri Heberman, argues that the video constitutes a severe criminal offense of contempt of court, punishable by up to three years in prison. They assert that the use of the judiciary's figures and their official status for election propaganda is dangerous and constitutes incitement, bloodshed, and the creation of a false reality that attributes criminal behavior to senior law enforcement officials.

The video was released as part of a joint initiative by Smotrich and MK Simcha Rothman to launch a new judicial reform. Eisenkot's party insists this is not legitimate criticism but dangerous incitement. They have demanded that Smotrich remove the video from all his platforms by 3:00 PM on the day of the article's publication, stating, "Smotrich again proves that there is no red line he will not cross and no state institution he will not trample for another vote at the ballot box."

The intense and often acrimonious election campaigns in Israel are increasingly leading to a surge in legal disputes, with political battles quickly moving from media and social networks to courtrooms. Judges are facing an endless stream of legal conflicts and urgent requests, including injunctions against campaign ads, election law violations, incitement claims, and internal party disputes.