Distributed at the Blich High School election rally: the bottle opener that gets Ben Gvir into trouble
The Reform Center for Religion and State has petitioned against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party, demanding a halt to the distribution of keychain-shaped gun bottle openers inscribed with "Guns save lives" at an election rally at Blich High School. The petition argues that the distribution violates the ban on gifts in election propaganda. Election Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg temporarily rejected the request, referencing the "Charlie Hebdo" ruling.
The Reform Center for Religion and State filed an urgent petition against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party, demanding an immediate halt to the distribution of keychain-shaped gun bottle openers inscribed with "Guns save lives" at an election rally held at Blich High School in Ramat Gan. The petitioners argue that distributing the bottle openers violates Section 8 of the Elections Law (Propaganda Methods), which prohibits election propaganda involving the giving of gifts. They rely on the "dominant purpose" test established in case law, which examines whether the item is primarily intended to convey a propaganda message or has independent use. According to them, the bottle opener is a practical item that can be used over time, and therefore should be considered a prohibited gift. Election Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg temporarily rejected the request and referred to the ruling in the "Charlie Hebdo" case, comparing it to a newspaper that was not defined as a prohibited gift. However, the Reform Center relies on that same ruling to argue that the bottle opener indeed constitutes a gift, due to the independent use that can be made of it. The petitioners also reference previous decisions, including a dried fruit package worth 2.04 shekels that was defined as a prohibited gift. The ruling on the petition may set a broader precedent regarding the distribution of propaganda items with independent use in the current election campaign.