Election Committee Orders Naftali Bennett to Remove IDF Footage from Campaign Video

The chairman of Israel's Central Election Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, ruled on Wednesday that Naftali Bennett, leader of the "Together" party, must remove specific segments from his election campaign video that show Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers engaged in operational activities and an artillery cannon. The video, in which Bennett discussed military service and criticized ultra-Orthodox Jews for avoiding conscription, included footage of soldiers and artillery as a visual backdrop. The Likud party filed a complaint with the election committee, arguing that Bennett's use of IDF assets and public property for political campaigning was prohibited.

Judge Solberg accepted Likud's claim regarding the contested footage, stating that the military images directly linked the IDF's operational activities to Bennett's political message, constituting unauthorized use of public assets in election propaganda. However, the judge did not order the removal of the entire video, noting that the military footage was limited to illustrative segments and could be excised without affecting the rest of the content.

Following the ruling, Bennett is required to edit the video to eliminate the scenes showing soldiers in action and the artillery cannon. The remaining parts of the video, including Bennett's statements about ultra-Orthodox exemption from military service, may remain and continue to be disseminated. This decision marks a partial victory for Likud in their dispute with Bennett before the election committee, allowing Bennett to maintain most of his campaign message after removing the military visuals.