Israeli Election Committee Orders Removal of Netanyahu Video Featuring Children

On Thursday afternoon, Noam Solberg, chairman of Israel's Central Elections Committee, issued a temporary order to remove a video of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filmed at the Malha Mall in Jerusalem. The video, published two days earlier, showed Netanyahu interacting with numerous visitors, including many children, talking and taking photos with them. The order followed a petition filed by attorney Yaron Meiri, who argued that the video violated the ban on involving children under 15 in election propaganda, as stipulated by Section 2g of the Election Law (Campaign Methods). This law prohibits the use of children in election campaigns except when engaged in routine activities. Alongside the petition, Meiri requested a temporary injunction to remove the video until the petition is fully reviewed. Judge Solberg accepted this request and mandated the video's removal from all social media accounts. He noted that the video could be reposted if all segments showing children in personal contact with Netanyahu were removed. The petition will continue to be examined until a final decision is made, following responses from the Prime Minister and the Likud party.