IDF Spokesperson Orders Suspension of Unit Social Media Accounts During Election Period

The IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Effi Deferin, has ordered the immediate suspension of all social media accounts managed by IDF units at the division level and below. This directive, effective immediately and lasting until further review in the coming months, aims to maintain governmental neutrality and message consistency during the election period.

In recent years, various IDF units have independently opened social media accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and TikTok, often without prior approval or professional oversight from the IDF spokesperson's office. This lack of coordination has led to inconsistencies in messaging. To address this, only the official IDF accounts and those of its main branches, arms, and commands will remain active. Any exceptions will require explicit approval from the spokesperson.

Furthermore, any official communications or speeches by officers ranked colonel and above must receive prior authorization from the spokesperson before dissemination. The order was emphasized to take effect immediately upon its publication to ensure unified and controlled communication from the IDF during the sensitive election timeframe.