The chairman of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Deputy Supreme Court President Justice Noam Sohlberg, ruled Tuesday that a campaign video featuring Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may no longer be distributed, finding that it improperly used a state-owned facility for political purposes.

The decision came after the committee accepted a petition filed by the organization Lawyers for Good Governance, which challenged the use of the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv as the backdrop for political campaign material.

At the center of the case was a video published on May 19, 2026, through the prime minister’s personal social media accounts. The footage was filmed inside the historic Ben-Gurion House, located within the heavily secured Kirya military compound.

The petitioners argued that the production violated Section 2A of Israel’s Election Propaganda Law, which prohibits candidates and political parties from using government or public property to gain a political advantage during an election campaign.

‘Attempt to Influence Voters’

Justice Sohlberg sided with the petitioners, determining that the content of the video clearly crossed the line into political campaign activity.

In his ruling, Sohlberg wrote that the video highlighted the prime minister’s achievements and performance in the diplomatic and security arenas in a manner designed to influence voters ahead of the election.

According to the decision, the message presented in the video was intended to showcase Netanyahu’s leadership and accomplishments for electoral purposes, placing it squarely within the category of prohibited campaign material.

Sohlberg further emphasized that Ben-Gurion House within the Kirya is a state-owned public asset that exists solely for the official duties of the prime minister.

As such, he ruled that neither the facility itself nor its historic symbolism may be used to advance a personal or party political campaign.

Exclusive Access Violated Principle of Equality

Another factor cited in the ruling was the unique location of the filming site.

The court noted that Ben-Gurion House is situated inside a closed military base that is inaccessible to other candidates and political parties.

Because only the sitting prime minister could gain access to the facility, Sohlberg concluded that the filming created an unfair advantage over competing candidates.

The ruling described the situation as an improper exploitation of exclusive access to a restricted military installation, undermining the principle of equality that is meant to govern election campaigns.

As a result of the decision, a temporary injunction previously issued in the case was converted into a permanent order.

Netanyahu and the Likud Party are now prohibited from continuing to publish or distribute the video on any media platform.

In addition, the prime minister and Likud were ordered to jointly pay 7,500 shekels in legal costs to the organization that filed the petition.