'Dangerous incitement': Bar Association demands Smotrich remove AI video featuring justices, A-G

Israel Bar Association head Amit Becher sent a warning letter to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the Religious Zionist Party, demanding the immediate removal of an AI-generated campaign video that depicts Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara being forcibly dragged from a demonstration. The Bar Association warned it would petition the Central Elections Committee if the video is not removed, and also plans to seek an official condemnation and request a police investigation.

Israel Bar Association head Amit Becher sent a warning letter to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the Religious Zionist Party on Thursday, demanding the immediate removal of an AI-generated campaign video uploaded on Tuesday. The video depicts Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara being forcibly and violently dragged from a demonstration on the Ayalon Highway by civilians dressed in black and wearing reflective vests. Becher wrote that the video presents a "violent, inciting message" that portrays the judges and attorney-general as enemies of the public, and is "an attempt to intimidate, undermine public confidence in the rule of law, and interfere with the proper conduct of the elections." The Bar Association's National Council approved the letter and also decided to seek an official condemnation and approach the Israel Police with a demand for an investigation. If the video is not removed, Becher said the association would petition the Central Elections Committee for injunctions and emergency orders. Separately, the Yashar party sent a warning letter through attorney Uri Haberman, claiming the video amounts to contempt of court under Section 255 of the Penal Code, which carries a sentence of up to three years in prison. Yashar stated that the video makes prohibited use of the likenesses of senior judicial officials for election propaganda and called it "dangerous incitement and a license for bloodshed."