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Elections (Propaganda Methods) Law, 5719-1959

חוק הבחירות (דרכי תעמולה), תשי"ט-1959

Published: 1959-07-15Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-07-23 · Last amended 2026-07-16✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Application§

1.

This Law shall apply to elections to the Knesset, and, unless it otherwise provides in this regard, shall also apply to elections to local authorities.

Definitions§

1a.

In this Law –

"primary elections" – as defined in section 28a of the Parties Law;

"body associated with a faction" and "body active in elections" – as defined in the Parties Financing Law;

"Parties Financing Law" – Parties Financing Law, 5733-1973;

"Parties Law" – Parties Law, 5752-1992;

"Local Authorities (Elections) Law" – Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965.

Period of Restrictions§

2.

The prohibitions and restrictions under this Law shall apply, unless it otherwise provides in this regard, during the period of 90 days preceding election day and on election day; however, the prohibitions and restrictions under sections 2a, 2a1, 2a2, 4, 12 and 13 shall apply even outside the said period.

Prohibition on Use of Public Assets§

2a.

No use shall be made, in connection with election propaganda, of moneys or tangible or intangible assets of a supervised body within the meaning of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4) and (9) of section 9 of the State Comptroller Law, 5718-1958 [Consolidated Version], or of a corporation in the management or capital of which the Government or a local authority participates, and no use shall be made as aforesaid of real property or movable property actually held by such a body or corporation, except for use as specified below:

(1)use, for consideration or without consideration, of halls and open public places ordinarily available for such use;
(2)use of assets placed at the disposal of a Minister, Deputy Minister or Member of the Knesset by the State, or placed at the disposal of the head of the authority by the local authority, including photography alone, in the office of any of them; nothing in the provisions of this paragraph shall derogate from restrictions on the use of assets as aforesaid imposed under any law or rules of ethics.

Transparency in Election Propaganda§

2a1.
(a)A person shall not publish an election notice unless it bears the name of the person responsible for commissioning it and the means of contacting that person, and in the case of a printed notice – also the name of the printer and the means of contacting the printer, and if the person responsible for commissioning it acted on behalf of a candidate in elections or another body – the notice shall bear the name of the candidate or the body as aforesaid, the letter or designation of the faction or the list of candidates and the name of the party that submitted the list of candidates.
(b)In this section –

"election notice" – any of the following:

(1)election propaganda conducted by a candidate in elections, a body associated with a faction or a body active in elections, or by someone on their behalf;
(2)content of election propaganda published in exchange for payment;

"candidate in elections" – any of the following:

(1)a party or list of candidates in elections to the Knesset or in elections to a local authority and to the head of a local authority;
(2)a person included in a list of candidates as referred to in paragraph (1);
(3)a candidate in elections for head of a local authority;
(4)a faction of an outgoing council, within the meaning of section 25 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law;
(5)an elected public official, as defined in section 28a of the Parties Law.
(c)This section shall also apply to propaganda in primary elections, with the following modification: in paragraph (1) of the definition "election notice", instead of "a candidate in elections, a body associated with a faction or a body active in elections, or by someone on their behalf" read "a candidate in primary elections or on that candidate's behalf".

Election Propaganda Constituting a Deep Fake – Temporary Provision§

2a2.
(a)A person publishing election propaganda that constitutes a deep fake shall attach to it a disclosure stating clearly and prominently that the content therein was not originally documented.
(b)The Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may prescribe rules regarding compliance with the disclosure obligation under subsection (a).
(c)The provisions of this section shall not apply to election propaganda first published before the day of its commencement.
(d)In this section –

"digital means" – software as defined in the Computers Law, 5755-1995, including artificial intelligence, capable of creating, editing or altering information or content;

"deep fake" – visual or audio content that includes a figure, place, event, document or other object which may appear to have been originally documented but was created by digital means, or was edited by such means in a manner that materially altered it.

Restrictions on Election Propaganda Referring to Security Forces or Victims of Hostile Acts§

2b.
(a)No use shall be made in election propaganda of the name or image of a member of the security forces who was wounded or killed by reason of being a member of the security forces, or of the name or image of a victim of a hostile act injury, without that person's written consent, and if that person is not alive – without the written consent of a family member, provided that no other family member has objected thereto in writing.
(b)No use shall be made in election propaganda of the Israel Defence Forces in a manner likely to create the impression that the Israel Defence Forces are identified with a party or with a list of candidates; nothing in this subsection shall prevent a party or a list of candidates from expressing support for the Israel Defence Forces.
(c)Nothing in the provisions of this section shall derogate from the prohibitions and restrictions prescribed by any law regarding the participation of the security forces in party propaganda or regarding infringement of privacy.
(d)In this section –

"member of the security forces" – a person who serves or has served in the Israel Defence Forces, the Israel Police, the Israel Prison Service or another state security organisation;

"family member" – a spouse, a parent, and also a child, brother or sister who has reached the age of 18;

"victim", "hostile act injury" – as defined in the Compensation for Victims of Hostile Acts Law, 5730-1970.

Restriction on Involving Children in Election Propaganda§

2c.

A child under the age of 15 shall not be involved in election propaganda; for this purpose, "involvement" in election propaganda – excluding the use, in election propaganda, of a photograph or recording in which a child appears in routine activity.

3.§

(Repealed — תשפ״ב־3)

Restriction on Use of a Loudspeaker§

4.

There shall be no election propaganda by means of a loudspeaker, except for use of a loudspeaker at assemblies and gatherings the purpose of which is election propaganda; nothing in the provisions of this section shall derogate from provisions regarding the use of loudspeakers prescribed in other law.

Restriction on Propaganda in Radio and Television Broadcasts§

5.
(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, in radio or television broadcasts –
(1)there shall be no election propaganda during the period of 60 days preceding the elections;
(2)(Repealed)
(b)The provisions of this section shall not apply to the broadcast of election propaganda on radio or television under sections 15, 15a and 16d.
6.§

(Repealed — תשס״א־2)

Restriction on Use of a List's Letter§

7.

Except during the period of 42 days preceding election day, there shall be no election propaganda by means of the use – whether in writing or in another form – of the letter designating a list of candidates.

Prohibition of Entertainment Programmes and Refreshments§

8.

Election propaganda shall not be accompanied by entertainment programmes, including performances by artists, music, singing, screening of films and carrying of torches; election propaganda shall not be connected with the giving of gifts, and except at parties in private homes it shall not be connected with the serving of food or intoxicating beverages; the prohibition on the screening of films shall not apply to the broadcast of election propaganda on television under section 15a; for this purpose, "intoxicating beverage" – as defined in section 184 of the Penal Law, 5737-1977.

Various Prohibitions§

9.
(a)(Repealed)
(b)Except as provided in section 10, there shall be no election propaganda by means of affixing, installing, writing, painting or projecting light on buildings or fences or on roads, pavements or other areas designated for public pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

Restriction on Printed Notices§

10.
(a)There shall be no election propaganda by means of printed notices displayed in public, except subject to the following restrictions:
(1)(Repealed)
(2)(Repealed)
(3)(Repealed)
(4)A notice shall not be affixed except on notice boards designated by a local authority on a permanent basis for the affixing of notices or designated specially for the affixing of notices of election propaganda in advance of elections.
(a1)
(1)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), election propaganda shall be permitted by means of a notice displayed on a residential apartment or on the offices or clubs of a party or list of candidates, provided that the placing of the notice is not prohibited under the Roads (Signposting) Law, 5726-1966, and if conditions and restrictions have been prescribed by a by-law under paragraph (2), subject to those conditions and restrictions;
(2)A local authority may prescribe by by-law conditions and restrictions on the display of a notice as referred to in paragraph (1) for the purpose of ensuring public safety and environmental quality, relating to the size of the notice, the material of which it is made or the manner of its display.
(b)There shall be no election propaganda by means of printed notices published in daily newspapers, weeklies or monthlies, except subject to the following restrictions:
(1)A notice shall not exceed 40 inches;
(2)(Repealed)
(3)Not more than one notice per day on behalf of each party shall be published in a single newspaper;
(4)A party shall not publish more than 10,000 inches in total during the three months preceding election day; this provision shall not apply in elections to all local authorities.
(5)(Repealed)

Restriction on Signs§

10a.

The provisions of section 10 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, also to a printed or unprinted sign; however, the restriction in paragraph (1) of section 10 shall not apply to a sign bearing only the letter and designation lawfully approved for a list of candidates.

Outdoor Advertising Arrangement§

10b.
(a)In this section –

"advertising package" – a number of outdoor advertising installations the advertising space on which is marketed together as a single group by an advertising marketer;

"outdoor advertising installation" – an installation serving to display alternating advertising messages outdoors, installed and operated by an advertising marketer with the consent of the local authority within whose area it is installed, as well as signage on a bus for the display of such messages;

"advertising marketer" – a person engaged in the operation of outdoor advertising installations and the marketing of advertising space on those installations;

"candidate in elections" – one of the following:

(1)a party or list of candidates in elections to the Knesset or in elections to a local authority and to the head of a local authority;
(2)(Repealed)
(3)a candidate in special elections for head of a local authority;

"election period" –

(1)in elections to the Knesset – a period commencing 90 days before election day;
(2)(Repealed)
(3)in elections to a local authority and to the head of a local authority – a period commencing on the day of submission of lists of candidates under section 35(h) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965;
(4)in special elections for head of a local authority – a period commencing on the day of submission of the candidate's nomination under sections 7(b) and 24a(b) of the Local Authorities (Election of Head of Authority and Deputies and Their Tenure) Law, 5735-1975.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 9, 10(a) and 10a, election propaganda shall be permitted, during the election period, by means of the use of an outdoor advertising installation, subject to the following conditions:
(1)the election propaganda is on behalf of a candidate in those elections;
(2)an advertising marketer shall not discriminate between candidates in elections in any manner, including with respect to price, publication dates and the scheduling of election propaganda on outdoor advertising installations;
(3)an advertising marketer operating more than 10 percent of all outdoor advertising installations in the entire area of the State or in the area of a particular local authority shall not allocate to a single candidate in elections, at any given time, advertising space for election propaganda on the installations operated by the marketer at a rate exceeding the rate specified below of the marketer's advertising space both throughout the State and in the local authority:
(a)in elections to the Knesset, and in elections to a local authority and to the head of a local authority – 10 percent;
(b)in special elections for head of a local authority – 20 percent;
(c)in repeat elections for head of a local authority – 30 percent;
(4)a candidate in elections shall not publish election propaganda on outdoor advertising installations operated by an advertising marketer as referred to in paragraph (3), in advertising space exceeding the rate specified in that paragraph;
(5)the election propaganda shall be on an outdoor advertising installation operated by an advertising marketer who has given notice as referred to in subsection (c)(1).
(c)An advertising marketer wishing to allocate advertising space for election propaganda on outdoor advertising installations operated by the marketer during the election period, or who has allocated such advertising space, shall give notices to the State Comptroller as specified below:
(1)before the commencement of the marketing of advertising space as aforesaid – a notice that shall include the following particulars:
(a)the number, location and advertising space of all outdoor advertising installations operated by the marketer, at the time of giving the notice, in the entire area of the State and in the area of each local authority;
(b)details of the advertising packages offered by the marketer for marketing at the time of giving the notice and those put out for marketing in the three months preceding it, including the number, location and advertising space of the outdoor advertising installations comprising each package;
(c)the prices of the advertising packages offered for marketing for the purposes of election propaganda;
(2)not later than 90 days after election day – a notice that shall include particulars regarding the election propaganda published on outdoor advertising installations operated by the marketer, including the identity of the orderer, the identity of the funder and the details of the transaction.
(3)In this subsection, "election period", in respect of elections to a local authority and to the head of a local authority, shall be in addition to what is stated in the definition of "election period" in subsection (a)(3) and (4) –
(a)for the purpose of paragraph (3), a period commencing 60 days before election day and until the day of submission of lists of candidates as referred to in that paragraph;
(b)for the purpose of paragraph (4), a period commencing 7 days after the ground for the election of the head of the local authority arose and until the day of submission of the candidate's nomination as referred to in that paragraph;
(4)The reporting obligations under this subsection shall apply also in respect of the allocation of advertising space on outdoor advertising installations to a person who published election propaganda during the election period as specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (3); however, for the purpose of paragraph (2) the reporting obligation shall not apply unless a list of candidates or a candidate's nomination has been submitted under section 35(h) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965, or under sections 7(b) and 24a(b) of the Local Authorities (Election of Head of Authority and Deputies and Their Tenure) Law, 5735-1975, in which the candidates or the candidate to whom the publication relates are included.
(d)The advertising marketer shall send a copy of the notice under subsection (c)(1) to the Central Elections Committee, for inspection by any person requiring it.
(e)During a period that is not the election period as defined in subsection (a), the prohibitions and restrictions in this section and in sections 9, 10(a) and 10a shall not apply in respect of the publication of election propaganda by means of the use of an outdoor advertising installation.

Compliance with Provisions§

11.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, a local authority shall not permit the affixing of material containing election propaganda if the material contravenes the provisions of sections 9, 10, 10a or 10b.

Delivery of Printed Material§

12.

A printer shall not deliver material that the printer has printed and that contains election propaganda, except to the person who commissioned its printing or to a person authorised to receive it in writing by the person who commissioned it; and if the material purports to be election propaganda on behalf of a party or list of candidates, the printer shall not deliver it except to a person authorised to receive it in writing by that party or list of candidates.

Prohibition of Interference§

13.

Election propaganda on behalf of or for one party or list of candidates shall not be conducted in a form or manner that constitutes unfair interference with election propaganda on behalf of or for another party or list of candidates.

Arrangement Regarding Halls and Public Places§

14.

The Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset may, after consultation with the Deputy Chairpersons of that Committee, impose on the owner or occupier of a hall or open public place ordinarily available for hire – an obligation to hire it to a particular list of candidates, at a time to be determined within the 60 days preceding election day for the Knesset, if the Chairperson of the Committee is of the opinion that this is necessary in order to enable that list of candidates to be heard in that locality.

Arrangement of Radio Broadcasts§

15.
(a)The Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset shall determine, after consultation with that Committee, the times to be allocated to each list of candidates for the purpose of broadcasting election propaganda on the radio, other than propaganda on behalf of a list in favour of the election of another list of candidates, in advance of the day of elections to the Knesset; each list of candidates shall be given 15 minutes, and each list of candidates submitted by a party that is a faction in the outgoing Knesset shall be given an additional 4 minutes for each of its members in the Knesset.
(a1)Election propaganda shall not be broadcast on the radio except during the 14 days preceding the elections.
(b)(Repealed)

Arrangement of Television Broadcasts§

15a.
(a)Election propaganda shall not be broadcast on television except during the 14 days preceding the elections.
(b)The Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset shall determine, after consultation with that Committee and with the Director-General of the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, the times to be dedicated to the broadcast of election propaganda on television, their integration into the regular schedule of television broadcasts and the times to be allocated for that purpose to each list of candidates; each list of candidates shall be given 7 minutes, and each list of candidates submitted by a party that is a faction in the outgoing Knesset shall be given an additional 2 minutes for each of its members in the Knesset.
(c)There shall be no broadcasts under this section on rest days as defined in the Law and Administration Ordinance, 5708-1948.
(d)Only election propaganda produced by the parties or lists of candidates at their own expense and approved by the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee shall be broadcast under this section, other than propaganda on behalf of a list in favour of the election of another list of candidates.
(e)(Repealed)

Exemption from Liability§

15b.

The Central Elections Committee and the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation shall not bear civil or criminal liability in respect of the broadcast of election propaganda under this Law.

Publication of Notice on Freedom of Elections§

16.
(a)On the 14th day, on the 7th day and on each of the two days preceding the day of elections to the Knesset, and on election day, the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset shall publish, in news broadcasts on radio and television and in any other manner determined after consultation with that Committee, a notice that will clarify to voters their right to vote freely and according to their conscience, and will set out the provisions of the law ensuring the freedom, secrecy and purity of elections; a notice as referred to in this subsection shall be published in all daily newspapers appearing in Israel on the 7th day preceding the day of elections to the Knesset and on election day.
(b)(Repealed)

Information and Guidance Broadcasts§

16a.
(a)The Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset shall determine, after consultation with that Committee and with the Director-General of the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, the times within the schedule of radio and television broadcasts to be dedicated to explanations to be given on his behalf to voters regarding the voting procedures in elections to the Knesset and to members of ballot committee regarding the procedures for carrying out their duties.
(b)The Minister of the Interior shall determine, after consultation with the Director-General of the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, the times within the schedule of radio and television broadcasts to be dedicated to explanations to be given on his behalf to voters regarding the voting procedures in elections to all local authorities and to members of ballot committees regarding the procedures for carrying out their duties.
(c)The total duration of all broadcasts under subsections (a) and (b) shall not exceed one hour on radio and one hour on television; the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset shall coordinate with the Minister of the Interior the broadcasts under this section.

Broadcasts Without Charge§

16b.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation shall not collect payment for broadcasts under this Law.

Application to the Second Authority for Television and Radio§

16c.

The provisions of sections 15a, 15b, 16, 16a and 16b shall apply, with the necessary modifications, also to television broadcasts under the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law, 5750-1990, and the provisions of sections 16 and 16b shall apply also to radio broadcasts under that Law, other than propaganda broadcasts under section 16d; for the purpose of such modifications, the Director of the Second Authority for Television and Radio (hereinafter – the Second Authority) shall be regarded, as appropriate, as if he were the Director-General of the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, and the Second Authority and the licensees for broadcasting as defined in that Law shall be regarded as if they were the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.

Propaganda Broadcasts on Regional Radio in Elections to Local Council§

16d.
(a)For the purposes of this section –

"elections to a local authority" – elections held in a local authority for the authority's council and for the head of the authority on the same day;

"licensee" – a holder of a licence for radio broadcasts under the Second Authority Law;

"Second Authority Law" – the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law, 5750-1990;

"the Authority's Council" – the Council as defined in the Second Authority Law;

"local authority" – as defined in the Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965;

"list of candidates" – a list of candidates submitted to the elections officer under the Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965.

(b)A licensee may include in its broadcasts, within the framework of the broadcasting time allocated to it for the broadcast of advertising spots, election propaganda of a list of candidates and on its behalf only, during the period of thirty days preceding elections to a local authority situated within its licence area.
(c)A licensee may collect payment for the broadcast of election propaganda.
(d)In accepting election propaganda spots for broadcasting, a licensee shall not discriminate between lists of candidates competing in elections within the licence area, in any manner whatsoever, including as regards price, broadcast times and the scheduling of spots.
(e)
(1)The maximum broadcast time for an election propaganda spot that a licensee may allocate, in any one broadcast hour and in any one day, shall not exceed the maximum broadcast time for advertising spots permitted to it under section 85 of the Second Authority Law;
(2)The maximum broadcast time per day for election propaganda spots of a single list of candidates shall not exceed 10% of the maximum broadcast time for advertising spots per day permitted to a licensee under section 85 of the Second Authority Law;
(3)The maximum broadcast time, per broadcast hour, for election propaganda spots of a single list of candidates shall not exceed 15% of the maximum broadcast time for advertising spots in that broadcast hour permitted to the licensee under section 85 of the Second Authority Law;
(4)The Authority's Council shall prescribe rules regarding the manner of submitting requests for the broadcast of election propaganda spots and regarding the allocation of broadcast time by the licensee; the rules shall provide, inter alia, for deadlines for the submission of requests, the division of the day or broadcast hours into groups of broadcast times in respect of which requests for broadcasting shall be submitted to the licensee (in this section – a broadcast unit), and rules for the allocation by the licensee of the time permitted for election propaganda spots;
(5)Where requests for the broadcast of election propaganda spots have been submitted to a licensee by lists of candidates, for a particular day or a particular broadcast unit, for a total period of time exceeding the maximum time permitted to the licensee for advertising spots on that day or in that broadcast unit, as the case may be, or exceeding the maximum time that the licensee allocates for election propaganda, taking into account its prior commitments, the licensee shall allocate the broadcast time available for allocation among all the lists of candidates, proportionally to the time requested by each list of candidates;
(6)Where a list of candidates has requested broadcast time exceeding the maximum permitted for a single list of candidates under paragraphs (2) and (3), the licensee shall treat this, for the purpose of the proportional allocation under paragraph (5), as if the list had requested the maximum broadcast time permitted under those paragraphs.
(f)
(1)Ten days before the commencement of broadcasts of election propaganda spots under this section, a licensee shall determine a tariff schedule for the broadcast of election propaganda spots within its licence area, according to broadcast unit and according to the duration of the spot, and the payment conditions; the tariff schedule shall be uniform throughout the licence area;
(2)The licensee shall not be entitled to sell broadcast times at a different price or on different payment conditions from those set out in the tariff schedule, and shall not be entitled to grant any discount or benefit, directly or indirectly, to any list of candidates;
(3)The maximum tariff that a licensee may set for broadcasting, for every thirty seconds of an election propaganda spot, shall be as set out in the Schedule;
(4)The licensee shall send the tariff schedule to the Director as defined in section 1 of the Second Authority Law; it shall also send the tariff schedule to any list of candidates that has requested it, make it available for inspection by any person who requests it, and deposit a copy thereof with the National Supervisor of Elections;
(5)A licensee shall broadcast notices regarding the determination of the tariff schedule, in accordance with the provisions of this section, and regarding the means of obtaining it.
(g)A licensee shall report to the State Comptroller, upon his request, on the propaganda spots broadcast by it, including the identity of the person who ordered the broadcast, the identity of the funder and the details of the transaction; it shall also transmit to the State Comptroller, upon his request, a recorded copy of the broadcasts.
(h)A licensee shall retain a recording of the election propaganda spots broadcast by it as well as the particulars listed in subsection (g), for three years from the day of the elections.
(i)The Authority's Council shall prescribe, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee, rules for the implementation of the provisions of this section and for ensuring compliance with its provisions by the licensee; the rules shall be prescribed having regard, inter alia, to the ethics rules prescribed under the Second Authority Law and also to the character and uniqueness of election propaganda and to guidelines in respect thereof.
(j)Propaganda broadcasts under this section shall be included within the framework of the licensee's broadcasts and the provisions of the Second Authority Law shall apply to them, subject to modifications to be determined by the Authority's Council.
(k)The provisions of this section shall apply in respect of election propaganda of a candidate for the chairmanship of a regional council under the Regional Councils Law (Election of Council Chairperson), 5748-1988, held on the same day as elections to the regional council.

Arrangement for the Publication of an Election Survey§

16e.
(a)In this section –

"election survey" – a survey conducted during the election period that examines the voting patterns of voters in the elections, or that examines matters directly related to a person who is a candidate in the elections;

"candidate in the elections", "election period" – as defined in section 10b(a);

"broadcaster to the public" – a broadcaster on electronic media;

"publisher in writing to the public" – including in a newspaper or on the internet;

"public" – excluding the public of persons engaged in the management of the election campaign, whether for pay or without pay.

(b)The first person to broadcast to the public the results of an election survey, and anyone who broadcasts as aforesaid within 24 hours from the time the survey results were first conveyed to the public, shall indicate alongside the results all of the following:
(1)the name of the body that commissioned the survey;
(2)the name of the entity that conducted the survey;
(3)the date or period during which the survey was conducted;
(4)the population from which the sample of respondents to the survey was drawn;
(5)the number of persons who were asked to participate in the survey and the number of persons who actually participated in it;
(6)the margin of error with respect to the data obtained.
(c)A person who publishes in writing to the public the results of an election survey as referred to in subsection (b), shall specify, in addition to what is stated in that subsection, also the questions that were asked in the survey.
(d)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (b) and (c), a person who broadcasts or publishes in writing to the public the results of an election survey that are not based on recognised statistical methods for conducting surveys, shall indicate prominently that the survey was not based on recognised statistical methods and that it is therefore impossible to draw conclusions from it regarding voting patterns or public opinion, and shall also indicate the data referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b).
(e)A person who conducts an election survey using recognised statistical methods, intended for publication in writing or for broadcast to the public, shall send a copy of the survey results to the Central Elections Committee, as soon as possible, for inspection by any person who requests it, together with the following particulars regarding the survey:
(1)the data referred to in paragraphs (1) to (3) of subsection (b) as well as the questions asked in the survey as referred to in subsection (c), provided that for the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2) the address of the body that commissioned the survey or of the entity that conducted the survey, as the case may be, shall also be indicated;
(2)information on the method used to collect the data from which the survey results were produced, including:
(a)the sampling method;
(b)the initial sample size;
(c)the types of population sampled;
(d)the number of persons who were asked to participate in the survey and the number and percentage of those who actually participated in the survey, refused to participate in the survey or were ineligible to participate in the survey;
(e)the dates and times of the interviews;
(3)the margin of error with respect to the data obtained.
(f)
(1)A person who conducts an election survey shall report to the State Comptroller, no later than 20 days after election day, on the election surveys he conducted, specifying the particulars as referred to in subsections (b) and (c) as well as the details of the survey's funder and the details of the transaction;
(2)The duty to report under paragraph (1) shall also apply in respect of the publication of an election survey during the election period as defined in paragraph (3) of section 10b(c), and the provisions of paragraph (4) of that subsection shall apply in this regard, with the necessary modifications.
(g)A person who conducts an election survey shall retain the survey data he collected as well as the particulars listed in subsection (e) for three years from election day.
(h)During the period commencing at the end of the Friday preceding the opening of the polling stations and ending at the time of the closing of the polling stations, no person shall broadcast or publish in writing to the public the results of an election survey that were not broadcast or published in writing to the public before the commencement of that period; a person who broadcasts or publishes during that period the results of an election survey that were broadcast or published before the commencement of that period shall indicate prominently that the survey is not current and that no conclusions should be drawn from it regarding voting patterns or public opinion on the day of the broadcast or publication.

Penalties§

17.

A person who contravenes a provision of this Law or does not fulfil an obligation imposed on him under its provisions by the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset is liable to six months' imprisonment or the fine referred to in section 61(a)(2) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977.

Criminal Liability§

17a.

Where an offence has been committed against a provision of this Law, without prejudice to the criminal liability of others, a person who held the money or property in respect of which the offence was committed, or who was in charge of holding or keeping them, shall also be guilty of that offence, unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he took reasonable measures to prevent it.

Injunction§

17b.
(a)The Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset may, after giving the person concerned an opportunity to present his arguments before him, issue an Order preventing the commission or continuation of an act constituting an offence under this Law, under Chapter X of the Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969, under Chapter IX of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965, or under section 4i of the Regional Councils Law (General Elections Date), 5754-1994 (hereinafter – injunction); for this purpose, "person concerned" – a member of the Central Elections Committee who is a representative of the faction whose propaganda constitutes or is likely to constitute an offence under this Law, or a list representative under section 59 of the Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969.
(b)(Repealed)
(c)
(1)The provisions of section 6 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance shall apply to an injunction, and for this purpose such an Order shall be regarded as an Order of a court, and the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee shall have the powers vested in a court under that section;
(2)Without derogating from the provisions of paragraph (1), where an injunction has been issued against a faction, a list of candidates or a candidate in special elections for the head of a local authority and the Order has been violated, whether by them or by another person acting on their behalf, the fine under section 6 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance may be imposed on the faction, list of candidates or candidate, provided that an opportunity has been given to the representative of the faction, the representative of the list of candidates or the candidate to state their case, and if the Order was violated by another person acting on their behalf – a like opportunity was also given to that person;
(3)Without derogating from other means of collection, a fine imposed under paragraph (2) shall be set off against party funding monies or the advances to which the person on whom the fine was imposed is entitled under the Party Funding Law, 5733-1973, or under the Local Authorities (Election Funding) Law, 5753-1993, as the case may be, provided that the amount set off shall not exceed 10 per cent of the funding monies or the advances, as the case may be.
(d)A person shall not be punished under the provisions of section 17 if he has stood trial for violation of an injunction, and a person shall not be tried for violation of an injunction if he has been charged in respect of the same act under section 17.

Order to Remove Notices and to Clean and Restore Real Property§

17c.
(a)The Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may, until the 60th day after election day, issue an Order requiring a faction, a list of candidates, or a candidate in special elections for the head of a local authority, to remove notices and inscriptions that were displayed, affixed or written in contravention of the provisions of this Law and to clean or restore the real property that was defaced, within the period of time directed in the Order; provided that the person concerned has been given an opportunity to present his arguments before him.
(b)If an Order issued under subsection (a) is not complied with within the period of time specified therein, the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may instruct the local authority within whose area the notice or inscription was displayed, affixed or written, or the Public Works Department of the Ministry of Transport, to carry out what is required under the Order; if the Chairperson of the Central Elections Committee has so instructed, he may direct the Chairperson of the Knesset to deduct the cost of executing the Order from the funding monies to which the person against whom the Order was issued is entitled under the Party Funding Law, 5733-1973, or under the Local Authorities (Election Funding) Law, 5753-1993, as the case may be, and to transfer the monies so deducted to the body that was instructed under this subsection to carry out what is required under the Order.

Injunction in Elections to Municipalities and Local Councils§

17d.
(a)The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee shall designate, in each judicial district, one chairperson of a regional elections committee who is a judge of a District Court, and that person shall be entitled to hear applications for the grant of orders under section 17b, concerning the prevention of the commission of an offence under this Law, and under section 17c, all in relation to elections to municipalities and local councils within the judicial district of the District Court in which that person serves; in this section —

"chairperson of a regional elections committee" — a person appointed to serve under section 20 of the Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969;

"judicial district" — as determined under section 33 of the Courts Law [Consolidated Version], 5744-1984.

(b)The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee, and a chairperson of a regional elections committee appointed as referred to in subsection (a) who is hearing a particular application, may, on their own initiative, or upon an application by a party or by the Attorney General submitted before the commencement of the hearing or in the course thereof, direct that the hearing be held before the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee, if they consider that this is justified in the circumstances of the matter.
(b1)
(1)The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may, on his own initiative, or upon an application by a chairperson of a regional elections committee or by a party, direct that a hearing on an application for the grant of an order under section 17b or 17c that has been submitted or is to be submitted in a particular judicial district, be held in another judicial district, provided that he shall not give such a direction after the commencement of the hearing, unless he has received the position of the chairperson of the regional elections committee who commenced hearing it;
(2)In a decision under this subsection, the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee shall consider the extent of the anticipated harm to the parties as a result of the transfer of the hearing on the application for the grant of an order as referred to in paragraph (1), the distance from the judicial district from which the proceeding is to be transferred to the judicial district to which it is to be transferred, and the assurance of the parties' accessibility to the proceeding.
(c)A decision of a chairperson of a regional elections committee under subsection (a) may be appealed before the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee.
(d)The chairperson of a regional elections committee shall have the powers vested in the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee as referred to in section 17e(b) or (c), in respect of applications that he is hearing.
(e)(Repealed)

Rules of Procedure, Fees and Costs§

17e.
(a)
(1)The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, prescribe provisions concerning rules of procedure for applications and appeals under sections 17b to 17d and for an application for the disqualification of a judge under subsection (d);
(2)The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, regulate by provisions the fees payable in applications and appeals under sections 17b to 17d, as well as in applications under sections 17a(c) and 28y3(b) of the Parties Law, and the exemption therefrom; the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to applications and appeals under the Privacy Protection Law, 5741-1981, and the Party Financing Law; notwithstanding the provisions of section 39b of the Budget Foundations Law, 5745-1985, a fee as aforesaid does not require the approval of the Minister of Finance.
(a1)
(1)The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee or a chairperson of a regional elections committee as defined in section 17d may, after having considered, inter alia, the nature of the hearing and the practical possibility of conducting a hearing in the presence of the parties or at the request of the parties, direct that a hearing on an application under sections 17b to 17d be conducted by way of video conference;
(2)A hearing on an application under sections 17b to 17d shall be conducted by way of video conference under paragraph (1) only if it is possible for all participants in the hearing to see the hearing and all participants therein by means of a screen, to hear all participants in the hearing and the proceedings thereof in real time, and to present their positions.
(b)The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may order a party to pay costs and attorneys' fees in favour of another party in a proceeding under sections 17b to 17d; if the chairperson considers that a party has made improper use of a proceeding or has submitted a frivolous proceeding that does not disclose on its face a ground for the grant of an order, the chairperson may, irrespective of the outcome of the proceeding, impose on the party costs in favour of the State Treasury in such amount as the chairperson sees fit.
(c)Where the party ordered to pay costs or attorneys' fees under subsection (b) is a joint candidates list, the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee may determine that the costs and attorneys' fees shall be imposed only on one of the parties that submitted the said candidates list; for this purpose, "joint candidates list" — as defined in section 57 of the Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969.
(d)The provisions of section 77a of the Courts Law [Consolidated Version], 5744-1984, shall apply to a chairperson of an elections committee who is hearing applications for orders under sections 17b to 17d, with the necessary modifications and with the following modifications:
(1)In subsection (b1), wherever appearing, instead of "the court" read "the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee";
(2)An appeal under subsection (c) shall be heard before the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee; a decision of the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee regarding that person's own disqualification may be appealed before the President of the Supreme Court.

Right of Prosecution§

18.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 19(2) of the Magistrates Courts Jurisdiction Ordinance, 1947, or any other law, a member of the Central Elections Committee for the Knesset and a representative of a candidates list for the Knesset shall also be entitled to bring a person to trial for an offence under this Law.

Limitation of Authority§

19.

Where a charge has been brought for an offence under this Law by a member of the committee or a representative of a list as referred to in section 18, the Attorney General shall not be entitled to order the discontinuation of the proceedings.

Limitation Period§

20.

The limitation period for an offence under this Law shall be three years.

Immunity of the Law§

20a.

Emergency Regulations shall have no power to amend this Law, to temporarily suspend its validity, or to impose conditions thereon.

Immunity from Legal Remedy§

20b.

The provisions of section 137 of the Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969, shall apply to an act or omission under sections 15, 15a, 16 and 16a.

Savings Provisions§

20c.

The provisions of this Law are in addition to the provisions of any law and shall not derogate therefrom.

Commencement§

21.

This Law shall commence on the day of its adoption by the Knesset, and notwithstanding the provisions of section 2, the prohibitions and restrictions thereunder shall not apply except from that day.

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