Shin Bet Scrambles to Remove Likud Event Registration From Government Site
Late last night, a Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) duty officer was called in to remove a registration page for a Likud party event that had been posted on an official government website. The removal followed a petition filed by the "Economic Unit" watchdog group to the Chairman of the Election Committee.
The event in question, a Rosh Hashanah gathering hosted by the Likud party, was scheduled to take place the following evening and was to be attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife, and several Likud ministers. The invitation, which included the Likud logo, had been circulated about a week prior, inviting attendees to the event and providing a link for registration. This link led to a page on a government domain (gov.il) that also featured the Likud logo alongside the Israeli government's emblem.
The "Economic Unit," represented by attorney Yuval Yoaz, argued that election law prohibits the use of public resources for political propaganda. They contended that using a government website to organize the event and collect participant details, including personal information like phone numbers, names, and ID numbers, constituted a clear violation of the law. The website stated that the collected information would be used for "streamlining security procedures for a secured event and for optimal preparation by the event organizers," who are the Likud party.
The Prime Minister's Office initially responded that the site was intended for "security purposes" but had been removed due to the problematic nature of its use. However, the "Economic Unit" discovered the site remained active, prompting them to urgently inform the Election Committee Chairman, Judge Solberg, that the state's information was inaccurate. Judge Solberg, around 2:00 AM, ordered the state to respond by 10:00 AM.
The state then admitted that the registration page had not been removed by technical staff but was taken down immediately upon discovery of the "glitch" around 1:45 AM by a duty officer. The head of the Shin Bet's inspection division confirmed this in an affidavit under a pseudonym. The Prime Minister's Office stated the matter involved their office and the Shin Bet, and that they did not initiate the content's upload to the government site. The Shin Bet stated that all actions are performed under its legal authority and that an examination of the issues raised would be conducted.
Judge Solberg dismissed the petition as moot due to the website's removal and did not award costs against the Likud party. An examination confirmed the website was no longer active.
