Election Committee Head Orders Smotrich to Remove Children from Campaign Ads

The Chairman of the Election Committee, Noam Solberg, has ordered Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his party to remove campaign advertisements featuring children under the age of 15. The ruling came in response to a petition filed by the "Voters in Israel" organization, which cited a section of the Election Law prohibiting the use of children under 15 in election propaganda, with an exception for routine activities.

Smotrich had argued that the children in the photos were engaged in routine activities and questioned the proof of their ages. However, Solberg rejected these claims, stating that the images clearly depicted children under 15, particularly infants with their parents. He determined that the children were not engaged in routine activities, emphasizing that a special photo with an elected official at a celebratory event like the inauguration of a new settlement does not constitute a child's routine activity.

Solberg clarified that while elected officials can be photographed with children, they should not use such images in election propaganda. He suggested using photos with individuals over 15 or blurring the faces of younger children if necessary. The Election Committee chairman noted that this was not the first petition against Smotrich for using children in campaign materials, stressing the clarity and explicitness of the law.

As a result, Smotrich and his party must remove the offending images or the entire advertisement and pay 10,000 shekels in legal costs to the petitioner. Solberg also addressed Smotrich's complaints about the law's perceived difficulties, advising that Knesset members should seek to amend the law rather than challenge court rulings, as the current legislation is clear and has been in effect since 2000.