Gadi Eisenkot Petitions to Remove Controversial Religious Zionism AI Campaign Video

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the "Yashar!" party, has filed a petition with the Central Elections Committee demanding the removal of a campaign video by the Religious Zionism party. The video depicts Supreme Court justices being forcibly dragged through burning streets, sparking widespread controversy.

Central Elections Committee chairman, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, will now decide whether the use of judicial figures in election broadcasts in such a manner is permissible. The Religious Zionism party defended the video, stating it was clearly marked as AI-generated and did not incite physical violence. They explained the figures were meant to illustrate their claim that senior members of the judiciary obstruct right-wing policies through legal means, with the depicted police symbolizing a lawful action to remove this "blockage."

The video featured AI-generated likenesses of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, and Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez being dragged by men in vests during protests against the judicial overhaul. President Isaac Herzog criticized the video, stating, "Elections are not a civil war, not even in AI videos." A senior government minister also condemned the publication, calling it "unworthy" and stating criticism should be "objective, not through degrading draggings."

In July, the Central Elections Committee mandated that all AI-generated or edited campaign videos must be clearly marked with a dedicated logo. This new directive aims to address technological challenges threatening election integrity and public trust. Under the new rules, any election propaganda using AI-generated or significantly altered visual or audio content must include a clear and prominent disclosure notice.