Yesh Atid Demands Shas Remove IDF Soldiers Campaign Video

The Yesh Atid party, led by Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, sent a legal warning letter on Sunday to Knesset member Aryeh Deri and the Shas party demanding the removal of a campaign video posted on Deri's X account under the title "A Father's Life." The letter, delivered through attorney Uri Haberman, gave Shas until 11:00 AM to take down the content and warned of potential further action if the demand is not met. Y

esh Atid argues the video violates Israel's election law through its use of IDF soldiers and images of Shas ballot slips. The party emphasized this was an initial warning before pursuing additional legal measures.

According to the complaint, showing soldiers alongside political messaging creates the false impression that the military endorses Shas. The video claims that "over 30,000 soldiers and career military personnel voted for Shas in the last elections according to official data." Yesh Atid connected the use of soldiers in the advertisement to Shas's policy positions during the war, accusing the ultra-Orthodox party of advancing draft exemption legislation and prioritizing those who don't serve while active soldiers continue bearing the burden. The letter also referenced Deri's past statement expressing pride in family members who do not serve in the military.

"You cannot promote draft dodging at the expense of those who serve, take pride in those who don't serve, and then use IDF soldiers as props for election propaganda," Yesh Atid stated in its complaint. The party raised an additional legal objection regarding the appearance of a ballot slip displaying the party's letter designation.

According to Yesh Atid, Section 7 of Israel's campaign law prohibits using party letters during the period before 42 days remain until the election. The party set a specific deadline for Shas and Deri to remove the video and made clear that failure to comply could escalate the matter beyond this preliminary warning. At this stage, the demand represents the party's own initiative rather than a ruling by the Central Elections Committee, the official body that oversees Israeli election law compliance.

Rafi Ben Shtrit, one of the founders of the "October Council" and father of Israeli hero Elroy Ben Shtrit, who fell defending Nahal Oz outpost on October 7, also criticized the Shas video. "Since October 7, so many fathers can no longer say 'a father's life,'" Ben Shtrit said. "Just recently Aryeh Deri boasted about his three deserter grandsons. A released prisoner who doesn't send his children to the army sends other people's children to die and posts a video that is a finger in the eye of bereaved fathers. On October 27 we will put an end to the rule of draft dodgers!"

Ben Shtrit's reference to Deri as a "released prisoner" alludes to the Shas leader's past conviction and imprisonment on corruption charges, a sensitive topic in Israeli politics that highlights the tensions between secular and ultra-Orthodox communities over military service obligations.