Facebook removes Netanyahu's video claiming to be close to election victory

Social media giant Facebook has removed a video by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for claiming that he was very close to victory, in violation of election laws that forbid the publication of data, according to a media report on Monday.

Israelis voted on Monday in an unprecedented third parliamentary elections in less than a year to break the deadlock on government formation,

Netanyahu claimed on Sunday that his ruling Likud party's internal polling showed he was a stone's throw away from a Knesset (Parliament) majority that would allow the formation of a right-wing government.

"Our data from three hours ago shows we are at 59.7 seats," he told supporters at an election rally, referring to his bloc of right-wing and religious parties.

 

We are very close to victory, the prime minister claimed.

Discussing polling data is forbidden as per Israeli election laws during the seventy hours preceding polls.

Facebook said that they had received a complaint asking that they remove campaign material that violated the local law, and therefore removed it, Ha'aretz Online reported.