Eisenkot’s Yashar seeks to halt Netanyahu meeting with police chief on election integrity

Yashar accused Netanyahu of potentially seeking to pressure public servants to advance his political interests. 

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party said Sunday it had asked Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and Central Elections Committee (CEC) chairman Noam Sohlberg to stop a meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called with Police Commissioner Danny Levy on election integrity, warning that it could undermine public confidence in the results.

The meeting, scheduled for Sunday, would also include National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir but no representatives of the CEC, according to reports. The dispute comes two days before Tuesday’s Knesset election.

Netanyahu’s office rejected the suggestion that the meeting was unusual, telling Ynet News that such discussions take place before every election.

Yashar argued that Netanyahu was himself a candidate, was not responsible for overseeing election integrity and had no authority over the police commissioner on that issue. Its request was directed to Baharav-Miara and Sohlberg, who chair the committee responsible for administering the election.

“The unusual meeting raises concern about an attempt to create a false impression that election integrity has been compromised, without any basis, in order to undermine public confidence in the results in advance,” the party said.

Yashar accuses Netanyahu of seeking to pressure public servants

It also accused Netanyahu of potentially seeking to pressure public servants to advance his political interests.

Levy had declined to attend a similar discussion called by Ben-Gvir, according to reports. 

The commissioner had already held an election-preparations meeting about a week and a half earlier with Dean Livne, the CEC’s acting director-general.

The discussion covered police preparations for election day, maintaining public order, and ensuring voting could proceed safely and properly.

Levy said he had explicitly instructed officers not to express political views while serving and warned that those who violated the instruction would not be able to continue serving in the force. He also said police were preparing for different scenarios to protect the integrity of the election.