The school year opening on September 1st was marked by heightened political activity due to the upcoming elections next month. Public figures from across the political spectrum utilized the day for visits to schools nationwide. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accompanied by Minister of Education Yoav Kisch, visited a school in Ramla that had been damaged by a missile strike during the war and subsequently restored. Simultaneously, other ministers and Knesset members, including Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Bezalel Smotrich, and Prof. Yousef Jabareen, appeared at educational institutions across the country.
Alongside these events, a legal issue concerning election law emerged. The Movement for Quality Government filed a petition to the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, demanding to prevent the distribution of a children's book by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir outside educational institutions. The petitioners argued that this constituted the provision of a gift that serves as election propaganda, the involvement of minors in propaganda, and the misuse of public assets, as the book's cover features an illustration depicting the Attorney General and a police vehicle. After reviewing the responses submitted on behalf of the minister and his party regarding the issue of gifts, Judge Sohlberg decided to reject the petition, thereby allowing the continued distribution of the book at booths.
In parallel to legal battles, personal political friction occurred when stickers criticizing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana were posted on the route taken by his children to school. Ohana responded sharply on social media regarding what he described as a deliberate attack on his children and their educational environment. These events reflect the high political tension on the eve of the election season, as the public sphere, particularly educational institutions, becomes a battleground for different political camps, raising questions about the permissible boundaries of election propaganda and political activity on the first day of school.