Israeli Election Committee Orders Ben Gvir to Blur Police Faces in Campaign Video

Noam Solberg, chairman of Israel's Central Election Committee, instructed National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to blur the faces of police officers and security personnel appearing in a campaign video he published. The order came after a partial acceptance of a petition filed by attorney Shachar Ben Meir, who argued that the video improperly used public assets for election propaganda, violating election campaign laws. Solberg mandated the removal of segments showing police officers without the minister and those featuring officers not part of Ben Gvir's security detail.

The decision follows recent actions by the Election Committee to enforce election laws strictly. Last week, Solberg banned party representatives at polling stations from reporting voter turnout in real time via apps like "Elector," citing legal prohibitions against sharing such information. Two weeks earlier, the committee required Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich to remove an AI-generated campaign video depicting Gadi Eizenkot shaking hands with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas. The video was labeled as AI-edited after petitions challenged its authenticity.

Solberg emphasized the committee's commitment to ensuring fair elections through close cooperation with state authorities and strict enforcement of election laws. The measures aim to protect citizens' rights to vote and be elected without undue influence or misuse of public resources. The committee continues to address challenges related to election integrity ahead of the upcoming polls.