The Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, published on Tuesday an AI campaign video showing the arrests of Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.
The video was released as part of the far-right party's launch of its plan for a future judicial reform, should it be part of the next government after the October elections.
It shows Amit, Barak-Erez, and Baharav-Miara being dragged away by security personnel against the background of a protest resembling those that took place in 2023.
The video opens to show Amit carrying a sign reading "Not Smotrich!!!" Later, Baharav-Miara is shown holding the same sign.
Fire, Israeli flags, and signs reading "democracy" can also be seen in the background of the clip.
At the beginning of the government’s term in 2023, the party pushed for a contentious judicial reform amid an ongoing rift with the judiciary, which led to mass protests across the country.
Though the reform was not passed during the government’s term, a highly controversial bill that seeks to significantly weaken the attorney-general’s power to influence and have oversight over the government was passed by the Knesset in July.
A main aspect that was removed from the bill was the attempt to split the duties and powers currently held by the attorney-general between two separate officeholders: an attorney-general and a prosecutor-general.
RZP's judicial reform plan stated that a central aspect of it would be to work toward splitting the duties of the A-G, further weakening the role.
The tensions come amid the government’s ongoing rift with the judiciary and Baharav-Miara.
Israeli politicians condemn RZP's campaign video
Prime ministerial candidate Gadi Eisenkot, who has been a leading contender in the opposition bloc seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October elections, condemned the video and sharply criticized it for targeting the judicial system.
“I strongly condemn the disgraceful and violent video posted by draft-dodger and draft-refusal supporter Bezalel Smotrich, who claims to represent the sons and daughters of Religious Zionism, but in practice tarnishes and harms the name of an entire sector," Eisenkot stated.
"And all this during the Ten Days of Repentance, on the eve of Yom Kippur. They have learned nothing from October 7."
"In their political distress, they are willing to drag Israeli society into an abyss – again. We will not let them. For the sake of Israel and its future, we will send them home soon.”
Leader of the left-wing Democrats party Yair Golan, who is also part of the opposition bloc, said the video was “dangerous incitement and a call to shed blood.”
"Those who mark Supreme Court justices and the attorney-general as enemies and portray them being dragged through the streets know exactly what they are doing," he added.
“These are the same people who spent four years tearing Israeli society apart from within. Smotrich, the architect of the ‘Hamas is an asset’ doctrine, was a full partner in the government that brought Israel the greatest disaster in its history."
Golan vowed that after the elections his party would “put an end to this,” replace the current government, "repair the damage, and "bring responsible, strong and democratic leadership back to Israel."
Smotrich has previously expressed his commitment to remaining in Netanyahu’s bloc in the next government.