Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara instructed on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at the IDF officers’ graduation ceremony at the Bahad 1 base not be broadcast live, over concerns it could amount to illegal election propaganda.
She also directed the legal team at the Prime Minister’s Office to review the speech in advance, to ensure it contains no messages that violate election-propaganda laws.
The instruction followed an unusual request from the IDF, which turned to the attorney general for guidance on how to handle the ceremony, Channel 13 News reported. According to the report, the military had received complaints from citizens concerned that Netanyahu would use the event, less than a week before the October 27 election, for campaign purposes. The complaints came amid allegations that Netanyahu has violated election law in the past.
The directive concerns only how the speech is broadcast and reviewed. It does not bar Netanyahu from attending the ceremony or addressing the cadets and their families.
At the heart of the matter is the line between a prime minister speaking in his official capacity and messaging that could count as election propaganda, especially at an official IDF ceremony.
