Judge Noam Solberg, who chairs Israel's Central Elections Committee, issued a temporary order Thursday requiring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove a video from his social media accounts that shows him alongside children. The injunction came in response to a petition claiming the footage violates Israeli law prohibiting the use of minors in election campaigning.
The video in question was posted two days earlier on Netanyahu's social media channels and documented a visit he made to Malcha Mall in Jerusalem. The footage shows the prime minister meeting shoppers, talking to them, and posing for photographs. Numerous children were included in the video.
Following the video's publication, attorney and certified public accountant Yaron Meiri filed a petition with the Central Elections Committee chair, arguing that the content violated the prohibition against using children in campaign materials.
[Section 2(g) of Israel's Elections Law explicitly forbids the use of children under 15 in election propaganda, except in cases where they are engaged in routine activities.]
Alongside his petition, Meiri requested a temporary injunction requiring removal of the video pending a final decision in the proceedings.
