Herzog, elections chief, Shin Bet head warn of efforts to disrupt upcoming vote

President Isaac Herzog, alongside Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head David Zini, issued a joint warning regarding efforts to undermine Israel's upcoming election. The meeting, initiated by Zini, focused on preparations and inter-agency coordination to ensure a secure, lawful, and trusted vote.

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Elections are not a civil war. Elections are a social, democratic and political process, very significant and important in the life of a nation.

Herzog stressed that elections are a vital democratic and political process for the nation, not a civil war. He highlighted the threats posed by numerous hostile foreign digital influences and internal actors aiming to compromise election integrity and fracture Israeli society. The President affirmed support for the Central Elections Committee, guaranteeing the election would proceed according to established rules and laws.

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Israel faces many hostile foreign digital influences, as well as actors from within, and especially from outside, who seek to harm the integrity of the election and break apart our society.

The warning underscores the vulnerability of democratic processes to external and internal interference. The collaboration between the President, the judiciary overseeing elections, and the security agency signals a serious concern about potential disruptions. The emphasis on conducting the election "according to the rules and according to the law" points to a commitment to maintaining democratic norms amidst these perceived threats.

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The gathering was meant to give backing to the Central Elections Committee and to guarantee that the election would be conducted according to the rules and according to the law.