The Central Elections Committee has ordered National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to take down a video that allegedly shows mistreatment of activists during the Global Sumud Flotilla, and imposed a NIS 23,000 fine for illegal election propaganda, according to Israeli media.
The Central Elections Committee, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, has formally ordered National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to remove a video documenting the alleged mistreatment of activists during the Global Sumud Flotilla and imposed a NIS 23,000 fine for illegal election propaganda. The ruling, reported by Israeli media, marks the culmination of a fast-moving legal process on Friday: at 12:09 Justice Sohlberg initially ruled the video illegal, set the fine, and directed its removal, noting Ben Gvir did not respond to the petition and that this was not his first election law violation. The fine was later increased to NIS 35,000 in the same hearing; the formal removal order and the original 23,000-shekel penalty are the developments now finalized in the latest stage of the thread.
As The Zioneer reported across three bulletins Friday (the first at 12:09, the final ruling at 13:31), the committee's findings evolved from a preliminary fine and removal order to an increased penalty and Justice Sohlberg's explicit ruling that the video — made using public assets — constituted illegal propaganda. Ben Gvir's failure to respond to the petition was noted in the 12:09 report, and the 13:31 bulletin confirmed the fine increase to 35,000 shekels in legal costs. The new development formalizes the removal order and the 23,000-shekel fine.
The flotilla incident itself has also drawn international attention: Italian authorities opened an investigation into Ben Gvir over the same videos, as The Zioneer reported on June 9. The Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound activist flotilla, was intercepted by Israeli forces last month, and social media footage allegedly showed mistreatment of activists, leading to the elections committee petition and the separate Italian probe.
What remains unclear is whether Ben Gvir will comply with the removal order and pay the fine, and whether the Italian investigation will have further legal consequences for the minister.
4 developments
- StrongItaly opens investigation into Ben-Gvir over flotilla incident
- StrongBen Gvir says he spoke with police commissioner, stun grenade use may be restricted or removed
- StrongCzech foreign minister vows to veto any EU sanctions on Israeli minister Ben Gvir
- DevelopingAttorney General demands pre-approval of all Ben Gvir social media posts
Source and signal
- Internal intake