Once again: Solberg ordered the PM to remove 'propaganda content' – but with a caveat

Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Solberg ruled that a video filmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at an Air Force base contains elements of election propaganda, and ordered its removal from his personal accounts. However, Solberg permitted continued publication of the video on the official accounts of the Prime Minister's Office, distinguishing between the public message and the personal message. The petition was partially accepted.

Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Solberg ruled today (Tuesday) that a video filmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at an Air Force base contains elements of "election propaganda," and ordered its removal from his personal accounts. However, Solberg permitted its continued publication on the official accounts of the Prime Minister's Office and of the Prime Minister. The video was published about a week ago, showing Netanyahu standing at an Air Force base with an Air Force plane in the background. In his remarks, the Prime Minister discussed security matters and Israel's military achievements, saying: "I'm not letting this happen, I won't let this happen." The petition was filed by the Lawyers for Proper Administration association, which alleged misuse of public assets in violation of election law. Solberg determined that the video's content was mixed – both a propaganda message and a public message on behalf of the state. In his decision, he distinguished between the official accounts, where publication was intended to convey a message on behalf of the state, and the personal accounts, where the message is presented on behalf of the candidate. The petition was only partially accepted, and Netanyahu and Likud were ordered to pay court costs of 2,500 shekels. The decision comes just days after another decision concerning Netanyahu, in which Solberg ordered the removal of additional content and imposed court costs of tens of thousands of shekels.