Netanyahu ordered to remove Air Force base video from personal social media

The Central Elections Committee (CEC) ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to remove a video filmed in an Air Force base from his personal social media accounts, but not from official accounts.

The ruling refers to a video Netanyahu posted to his social media from Tel NofAir Force base, warning that a security threat before the election was likely.

The video triggered a serious reaction from the opposition, which demanded that Opposition Leader Yair Lapid be briefed on the security situation to prove that his claims were not part of an election campaign.

Lapid said following the briefing that he did not think that the security briefing warranted Netanyahu's announcement, saying, "There is no reason to cause public panic."

The CEC ruled that because Netanyahu did not dispute that he used military assets (an IDF base and IDF fighter jet), there was justification for posting the video on the Prime Minister's official accounts, but not on Netanyahu's personal social media accounts.

The CEC also ordered Netanyahu and the Likud Party to pay NIS 2500 to the petitioner.