Netanyahu Ordered to Remove Campaign Video from Personal Accounts

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove a video from his personal social media accounts. Sohlberg ruled that the video, filmed at an Air Force base, contained elements of election propaganda and that its publication on personal accounts violated election law.

This ruling is the latest in a series of interventions by the Elections Committee in Netanyahu's campaign publications during election periods, particularly those filmed in official capacities or using public resources. The issue was not Netanyahu's presence at a military base itself, as Sohlberg permitted the video to remain on the official accounts of the Prime Minister's Office and the Prime Minister.

The line was crossed, according to the ruling, when the video, filmed using state assets, was also posted on Netanyahu's personal accounts, where it was perceived as a message from a candidate. The video, released about a week prior, shows Netanyahu at an Air Force base with a military aircraft in the background. He discussed security matters and stated, "I am not letting this happen, I will not let this happen," using the plural "we" throughout.

A legal aid organization petitioned against the publication, arguing that the use of public assets for election propaganda violated election law. Sohlberg determined the video contained mixed messages: election propaganda alongside a public message intended for other countries. He differentiated between official and personal accounts, deeming the former as a state message and the latter as a candidate's message.

Given that the use of public assets, including an IDF base and an Air Force plane, was undisputed, Sohlberg concluded that its publication on Netanyahu's personal accounts violated election law. The petition was partially granted, and Netanyahu and the Likud party were ordered to pay the petitioner 2,500 shekels in expenses.