Gadi Eizenkot Demands Removal of Bezalel Smotrich's Campaign Video by 4 PM

The Israeli political party Yisrael Atid, led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, issued a formal warning to the Religious Zionism party and its leader, Minister Bezalel Smotrich, demanding the removal of a campaign video posted on Smotrich's X (formerly Twitter) account. The letter, sent on Thursday through attorney Uri Haberman, requires the video to be taken down by 4 PM the same day, threatening further legal action if ignored.

Yisrael Atid alleges the video, titled "Bringing the Reservists Home," unlawfully uses children in violation of Section 2g of the Election Campaign Propaganda Law. Additionally, the party claims the video should have been labeled as AI-generated content due to its misleading portrayal of Smotrich as a supporter of reservists. They argue that Smotrich has actually promoted legislation encouraging draft evasion among the ultra-Orthodox, which they say harms the Israeli Defense Forces, soldiers, and national security.

Yisrael Atid emphasized that true Religious Zionism supports shared military service and national responsibility, condemning any encouragement of draft evasion. The party stated that anyone who burdens reservists cannot claim to represent these values. The ultimatum sets a clear deadline for compliance, with Yisrael Atid prepared to pursue additional measures if the video remains online beyond the deadline.