World

Netanyahu Gives Interviews on Israeli Election Day Despite Legislative Ban

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to give media interviews on election day and also called on Twitter supporters to vote, despite the fact that such activities are prohibited by the law.
Sputnik

According to Israeli law, election campaigns on radio and television must be completed at 7 p.m. on the day before the election. Nevertheless, on election day, Netanyahu was interviewed by the Kol Chai broadcaster. The incumbent prime minister also was broadcasting live on Facebook and was actively publishing messages on Twitter, encouraging supporters to vote.

"Right-wing voters, have you gone crazy? Come out now to vote for the Likud to stop a left-wing government with the Arab parties," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu used the same technique, which was previously called the "gevalt campaign" (Yiddish word "gevalt" means noise, mess), to mobilize supporters in the April elections and four years ago.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that Facebook temporarily suspended the chatbot of Netanyahu's page for publishing voting data, which is illegal on election day. However, later the chatbot was restored after the Likud party promised not to violate the law.

Discuss