Central Elections Committee acting director-general Din Levana used his first meeting in office on Monday to attack the Knesset, saying it is not providing enough funding to recruit staff for the coming election period. He said the commission is struggling to hire personnel and that the budget does not match the needs of a national election operation.
Levana, appointed in a fast-track process without a tender by Central Elections Committee chair Justice Noam Sohlberg after the retirement of former director-general Orly Adas, said the main challenge is finding quality workers. He described election work as one of the most demanding jobs in the public sector, requiring intensive work through the summer, on Fridays, and during the holidays.
He added that young people are less willing to take part in the effort, and cited budget figures showing that out of an original 81.3 million shekels allocated for Knesset election expenses, only 53 million shekels has actually been spent in cash, including payments for past commitments. Levana said a more flexible budget would allow the commission to offer stronger incentives and recruit the staff needed to ensure the best possible response.
The criticism comes after the Knesset passed a bill to advance the election in preliminary reading, which accelerated the commission’s work and followed a series of controversial decisions by Sohlberg. Those included appointing attorney Yifat Siminovsky as the commission’s legal adviser despite Likud objections, asking Adas to remain in office past retirement age, and later appointing Levana quickly and without a tender after Adas unexpectedly resigned despite previously agreeing to stay until after the election.
