Following the approval of the state budget in its first reading in the Knesset overnight Wednesday, a political storm erupted on Thursday morning following a campaign video published by Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party.

The AI video shows Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri while passing him money, implying that Netanyahu reached a deal with the Chareidi MKs to approve the budget in exchange for a draft law. A subtitle states, “The ‘draft dodgers’ agreement sold us all.”

The Dati Leumi Torat Lechima organization responded to the video by stating, “Your anti-Semitic campaigns impress no one, Mr. Failed Pension-Conception, who, in his role as Chief of Staff, engaged in harming Shomrei Mitzvos—religious and Chareidi.”

“Gadi, I’m deeply disappointed in you,” Deri wrote. “I respected you and saw you as someone who could bring a different spirit to our pained nation. I defended you against Bennett’s attacks and even fought for you to be appointed to the security cabinet.”

“I understand that the left is under heavy pressure, but to sink to such a low? To use blatant antisemitic imagery just to scrape together a few votes? Is this your new message? More of the same poison and hate the public is tired of? Unfortunately, you’re following in Lapid’s footsteps, and you’ll end the same way.”

The Likud party also issued a condemnation, stating, “The Likud party strongly denounces the appalling campaign videos posted by Gadi Eisenkot and Benny Gantz, which portray Chareidim as greedy and corrupt. These videos echo the antisemitic smears against Jews from the darkest times in our history. Likud calls on Eisenkot and Gantz to immediately remove this disgraceful content from their platforms.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)