Yisrael Beiteinu Demands Netanyahu Remove Facebook Posts Featuring IDF Soldiers

The Yisrael Beiteinu party has filed a petition with the Central Elections Committee demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party remove dozens of posts from Netanyahu's Facebook account. The petition alleges that these posts repeatedly feature Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers in uniform, officers, military equipment, and operational footage as part of election propaganda.

This legal move follows a precedent set earlier this month when Judge Noam Solberg, head of the Central Elections Committee, ruled against former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot. Solberg ordered Eizenkot to remove a social media video containing AI-generated images of IDF soldiers, establishing that even artificial depictions of soldiers constitute improper use of military assets in election campaigns.

Yisrael Beiteinu argues that if AI-generated soldier images are prohibited, then the same standard must apply to real soldiers, authentic uniforms, and genuine military footage used in Netanyahu's posts. The petition highlights a consistent pattern over several months, showing Netanyahu appearing alongside soldiers in uniform, speaking to them, shaking hands, and awarding ranks to officers. It also references a recent video from August 5 where Netanyahu addresses new combat recruits with soldiers visible in the background.

The petition notes that Likud initially filed a complaint against Eizenkot for his video, which led to Solberg's ruling. Yisrael Beiteinu sent warnings to Likud and Netanyahu on August 6 and again later, requesting removal of the posts by August 9, but claims the content remains online. The party now seeks enforcement of the same rules against Netanyahu and Likud to ensure fairness in election campaigning.

The case underscores ongoing tensions over the use of military imagery in Israeli political campaigns ahead of the 2026 elections, with the Central Elections Committee playing a key role in regulating campaign conduct.