Gadi Eizenkot's Yisrael! Party Demands Shas Remove Campaign Video Featuring IDF Soldiers

On August 23, 2026, the Yisrael! party, led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, sent a legal warning letter to Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and the Shas party. The letter demands the removal of a campaign video posted on Deri's X account the previous Saturday night, titled "A Father's Life." The video, which is the first in Shas's election campaign, depicts a Haredi Israeli family during a Shabbat Kiddush, featuring one son serving as a combat soldier in the IDF and another son as a yeshiva student. The campaign message emphasizes that "everyone contributes to the people of Israel in their own way," and includes a slide stating that over 30,000 soldiers and reservists voted for Shas in the last election.

Yisrael! accuses Shas of violating election laws by using IDF soldiers in political propaganda, arguing the video falsely implies IDF endorsement of Shas. The letter criticizes Shas for launching its campaign with a video featuring soldiers despite the party's recent efforts to promote legislation exempting yeshiva students from military service, which Yisrael! calls a "draft evasion law." It also condemns Aryeh Deri's public pride in family members who do not serve in the military, calling the video offensive to the serving public.

Additionally, the letter points out that the video shows a voting slip with Shas's party letters, violating Section 7 of the propaganda law that prohibits use of party letters within 42 days before elections. Yisrael! demands Shas remove the video by 11:00 AM on the day of the letter and states this is an initial warning before further legal action.

This confrontation highlights tensions between parties over military service exemptions for yeshiva students and the use of IDF imagery in political campaigns ahead of the upcoming elections.