Election race in Israel – experts point to a dangerous problem

Experts warn of a dangerous imbalance in election campaigning in Israel: traditional media are strictly limited by law, while advertising on social networks and digital platforms is virtually unregulated. Dr. Baruch Leshem notes a decline in viewership of televised election ads from 50–80% in the 1970s–80s to a projected 5% in the current campaign. Tehila Shwartz Altshuler calls the situation dangerous, especially ahead of the elections.

Experts warn of a dangerous imbalance in election campaigning in Israel: traditional media are strictly limited by law, while advertising on social networks and other internet platforms is virtually not subject to the same restrictions. Dr. Baruch Leshem, a media and politics specialist, notes that in the 1970s and 1980s, election broadcasts were watched by 50% to 80% of viewers, while in the 2020 elections this figure was about 8%. In the current campaign, it is projected to drop to 5%. Leshem also recalled that in 2014, former President Reuven Rivlin initiated the creation of a commission led by former Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch, which proposed allowing parties to purchase prime-time advertising slots under the American model, but the government did not support this initiative. Tehila Shwartz Altshuler, head of the 'Democracy in the Information Age' program at the Israel Democracy Institute, notes that audiences, especially young people, are increasingly getting news through social networks, Telegram, and other digital channels. She considers this situation dangerous, especially ahead of elections. Strategic consultant and former head of Naftali Bennett's election campaign, Barak Gershkovitz, is also skeptical about the effectiveness of television campaigning, noting that in the past, political ads were significant due to the limited number of TV channels and the absence of the internet. In his opinion, both the coalition and the opposition are interested in maintaining the current party funding model.