Deepfake Election Law: Liberman Takes Legal Action Against Likud

Yisrael Beiteinu, the political party led by Knesset member Avigdor Liberman, dispatched an urgent legal warning letter Tuesday to Likud's legal counsel, Attorney Ilan Bombach. The letter demands immediate removal of what it describes as a digitally manipulated photograph distributed through official Likud social media accounts and those of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the warning letter, the image in question was published on the official Instagram and Facebook accounts of both Likud and Netanyahu. The photograph depicts Liberman alongside Mansour Abbas, chairman of Ra'am (the United Arab List), with Abbas appearing to place his hand on Liberman's shoulder—a scene that Yisrael Beiteinu insists never actually occurred.

The letter notes that just a month ago, on July 16, 2026, Amendment No. 43 to the Elections Law (Methods of Propaganda) took effect. The new amendment, specifically Section 2a2, establishes a clear legal obligation for proper disclosure in any election campaign material containing "deepfakes"—visual or audio content created or edited through digital means that could be mistaken for authentic documentation.

Yisrael Beiteinu officials clarified that if the photograph was manipulated using artificial intelligence or digital editing software, those publishing it are legally required to include prominent and explicit disclosure that the content is not authentic. The absence of such disclosure, combined with what they characterize as the misleading caption "there are things you can't hide," constitutes a flagrant violation of the law's provisions, according to the party.

The letter concludes by demanding that Likud and Netanyahu immediately remove the publication from all platforms and tools under their control and cease any further distribution. Attorney Eitan Haberman, representing Yisrael Beiteinu, warned that if the allegedly falsified image is not removed immediately, the party will proceed without further notice to exhaust all legal remedies available under law, including filing an urgent petition with the chairman of the Central Elections Committee to obtain an injunction and pursue legal sanctions.