Chairman of the Central Elections Committee orders removal of Netanyahu video featuring children

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, issued a temporary injunction this afternoon (Thursday) to remove a video of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the Malha Mall in Jerusalem, following a petition claiming that the video violates the prohibition on involving children in election propaganda.

The video was published the day before yesterday, and in it, Benjamin Netanyahu is seen meeting with visitors at the location, including many children, talking to them and taking pictures with them. Attorney Yaron Meiri petitioned the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, arguing that this constitutes a violation of the prohibition on involving children in election propaganda, according to Section 2g of the Elections Law (Propaganda Methods), which establishes an explicit prohibition on using children under the age of 15 in election propaganda, unless they are engaged in routine activity.

Along with the petition, Meiri requested a temporary injunction to remove the video until the end of the hearing on the petition. Judge Sohlberg accepted the request and ordered the video to be removed from all social media accounts. He noted that the video could be re-uploaded if the segments in which children appear in personal contact with Benjamin Netanyahu are removed. The hearing on the petition continues until a final decision is reached, following the receipt of a response from the Prime Minister and the Likud party.

After the video was published, journalists and social media users who delved into its content revealed that many supporters documented in the video as having met the Prime Minister "by chance" were wearing black bracelets. It appears that a selection process was carried out among the citizens who requested to approach Benjamin Netanyahu.