Sohlberg's decision that limits Likud's campaign broadcasts

Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg ruled that Likud cannot use footage filmed by the IDF Spokesperson in its campaign broadcasts without presenting proof of payment. The decision came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published campaign videos that were removed following petitions. Likud was ordered to pay expenses.

Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg ruled that Likud cannot use footage filmed by the IDF Spokesperson in its election campaign broadcasts without first presenting proof of payment arrangements. The decision was made after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published campaign videos that included Air Force planes, tanks, and Navy ships, which were removed following petitions. The Attorney General stated that it is not possible to definitively determine the source of all the footage, but it appears that some were filmed by the IDF Spokesperson without documented payment. Election law prohibits using public assets for propaganda. Sohlberg ruled that a similar obligation applies to IDF Spokesperson materials, and that from now on such videos will not be approved without proof of payment. The petition was withdrawn after the video was removed, but Likud was ordered to pay 1,500 shekels to the petitioner and 6,000 shekels to the state treasury.