Election Committee Restricts Likud's Use of IDF Footage
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Noam Sohlberg, ruled that the Likud party must obtain prior approval and prove payment before using election propaganda segments filmed by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. This decision follows the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign videos featuring military equipment after petitions were filed. The ruling prohibits the use of such materials without proof of payment, citing election law against using public assets for propaganda.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Likud cannot use IDF Spokesperson footage in campaign ads without proof of payment, ruled Noam Sohlberg.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign videos featuring military equipment were removed after petitions.
- The ruling extends previous decisions that public assets require payment for election propaganda use.
- The Attorney General's office found some materials appeared to be IDF-filmed with no payment arrangements.
- Likud was ordered to pay NIS 7,500 in expenses and treasury fees over a removed video.
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, ruled that the Likud party cannot use election propaganda segments filmed by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit without prior proof of payment. The decision came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted campaign videos on his social media accounts featuring military equipment like Air Force jets, tanks, and Navy ships. These videos were subsequently removed following petitions filed against their publication, before a final ruling was made.
Similar footage then appeared in Likud's televised election ads. In response to another petition, the Elections Committee chairman sought the Attorney General's opinion on the use of such materials, even if removed from online platforms. The Attorney General's office stated that while the exact origin of all segments in edited private videos could not be definitively determined, some materials appeared to be filmed by the IDF Spokesperson and there was no record of Likud arranging payment for their use.
Election law prohibits the use of public assets for election propaganda. Previous rulings established that materials filmed by the Government Press Office are public assets requiring payment. Sohlberg extended this principle to materials filmed by the IDF Spokesperson, mandating that such videos will not be approved for Likud's broadcasts unless proof of payment is presented.
The ruling noted that the video that prompted the latest petition was removed, but this represented a recurring pattern of "publication and removal." The committee observed that videos were repeatedly published, only removed after petitions were filed, and in some cases, appeared in television election ads. Although the petition was withdrawn after the video's removal, Likud was ordered to pay NIS 1,500 in expenses to the petitioner and NIS 6,000 to the state treasury.
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