Eisenkot threatens Netanyahu lawsuit over air base video

Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party has sent an urgent legal warning to Likud's legal counsel, attorney Ilan Bombach, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remove a video from his X account within four hours. The video was filmed at the Tel Nof air force base, with fighter jets visible in the background.

In the letter, filed through attorneys Uri Haberman and Guy Cohen, the party argues that the publication violates Section 2A of the Elections Law (Methods of Propaganda), which prohibits the use of public assets for election campaigning. The party warns that the use of the military base and aircraft is not incidental backdrop but a central part of a message designed to create a political association between Netanyahu and Likud and the IDF's strength.

"Concern over exploitation of IDF assets for political advantage"

The Yashar party sharply criticized the fact that the video was released just 28 days before the election date, noting that the use of security warnings within a campaign video raises deep concern.

"If the prime minister has security information that requires a public warning, he must deliver it in a statesmanlike, responsible and measured manner, not turn it into a video distributed from his personal account with fighter jets in the background," the party said. They added that publishing the warning in this manner could create public panic and give the impression of exploiting public concerns and IDF assets for political gain.

The warning letter demands removal of the video from all accounts controlled by Netanyahu and Likud, and makes clear that if this is not done within the allotted time, the party will consider immediately approaching the chairman of the Central Elections Committee with a request for an injunction and costs.

The letter emphasizes that if Netanyahu possesses genuine security information requiring public notification, the proper channel is through official government communications, not through personal social media accounts featuring military equipment as political props. The party argues that the timing, less than a month before voters go to the polls, and the setting transform what might be legitimate security messaging into prohibited campaign material.

Yashar's legal team has indicated that failure to comply with the four-hour deadline will result in immediate action before the Central Elections Committee, the body responsible for enforcing campaign regulations in Israel. The committee has authority to issue injunctions against parties and candidates who violate election law, and can impose financial penalties.