Election Committee Orders Removal of Gadi Eizenkot's IDF-Themed Campaign Video

Noam Solberg, chairman of Israel's Central Elections Committee, recently ordered the removal of a campaign video by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot. The video, posted on Eizenkot's social media accounts, used artificial intelligence to depict soldiers in various military scenarios, including combat, presence in a combat zone, knocking on a door resembling a military casualty notification, and a military ceremony. The committee ruled that the video improperly used IDF uniforms and soldier imagery, which are considered public assets, for election propaganda purposes.

The decision followed a complaint from the Likud party, which argued that the video violated election regulations despite being published before a new directive banning the use of the IDF in election campaigns came into effect. The committee emphasized that the use of uniforms and soldier figures created a significant connection between Eizenkot and the IDF, constituting prohibited use of public assets for electoral campaigning. Consequently, the committee instructed the Yisrael party to immediately remove the video.