Ex-Security Chiefs Warn of Election Sabotage Attempts

Four former heads of Israel's security establishment have issued a stark warning that certain political factions possess both the motive and the means to disrupt or postpone upcoming elections. The former officials, including ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, and former Police Inspector General Moshe Karadi, expressed their concerns in a video released by the Forum of Protest Organizations, an umbrella group of Israeli protest movements, as reported by Ynet.

The video features Barak, Ya'alon, Pardo, and Karadi, all prominent figures in Israel's security and political history. They collectively stated that a "security escalation before the elections is beneficial to certain players. They have both the capability and the motive. We must prepare in advance for any scenario that could prevent the elections from taking place on time." Barak elaborated, saying, "Escalation on the eve of elections benefits election campaigns." He added that those who stand to gain have the means and motive for such developments.

Karadi and Ya'alon specifically pointed to rising tensions in Judea and Samaria as a potential catalyst. Karadi described the upcoming elections as potentially the most dramatic since Israel's founding and urged the nation to be ready for any scenario that could disrupt the voting schedule. He accused Jewish extremists in Judea and Samaria of attempting to provoke a wider conflict, aiming to draw the IDF into a large-scale operation that could serve as a pretext for canceling the elections. Ya'alon echoed this sentiment, stating, "Jewish rioters are trying to ignite a war. This must be stopped before it happens."

Pardo highlighted the risk of broader regional confrontation, including heightened tensions with Turkey. He warned that the danger is not solely domestic, noting, "We have another front, with Turkey, where an attempt is being made to approach the upcoming elections with the possibility of their cancellation or postponement through the creation of another state of war." The Forum of Protest Organizations stated that the video is part of a larger campaign to safeguard election integrity and has launched a website to collect warnings from other public figures concerned about politically motivated security escalations before the vote.