Likud fined for distributing edited tape of Kahlon supporting Netanyahu
Court sanctions party for promoting recording from two years ago, when Kulanu chairman was still a member of Likud.
Supreme Court Judge Salim Joubran, who heads the Central Elections Committee, ordered Likud to bear the costs of the petition filed by the Kulanu party – a sum of NIS 20,000.
The edited tape has Kahlon saying: “Hello, this is Moshe Kahlon. Likud is the only party whose leader can give us a real answer to the big problems. Anyone can fix the small problems, and I am telling you that if I want to sleep peacefully, and I want to know that my children can sleep peacefully, and my family and friends and my son can sleep peacefully, Netanyahu has to be there at those times.”
Kulanu claimed the promotion of the tape was deceitful and illegal.
Joubran had already issued a ban on the promotion of the tape by the Likud. The party claimed in its response that “a reasoned voter who heard the tape would know all too well that the content was said by Kahlon in the past, when he was a member of Likud and not ahead of the elections for the 20th Knesset, as it is unreasonable for someone who stands at the head of one list in the Knesset elections to vote for another list competing with his.”
Joubran’s ruling rejected this claim by Likud, saying it was clear the release of the tape a day before elections would mislead voters into thinking Kahlon was calling on them to vote for Likud. He added that he could think of no purpose for promoting the tape at that time other than trying to convey this false impression, and that the tape in no way explains that it is about two years old.
“This is not the way,” Kahlon said of the tape. “This is not democracy. It’s sad that they have reached this place. Even in a campaign there are red lines. I’m happy they admitted to it, but it’s sad that they have to reach such a low place. I think the public is prudent enough to understand that this is a forgery and that I won’t vote for a party that lost its compassion and its social way. This is exactly why I left Likud.”
After Kahlon accused Likud of losing its way on social issues and declined to back Netanyahu, the prime minister’s party went on the offensive. Hundreds of thousands of voters received phone calls from Likud in which the tape was placed.
Noam (Dabul) Dvir, Ahiya Raved, Aviel Magnezi contributed to this report.
