Channel 13 Reporter Accuses Colleagues of Election Denial Preparations

Channel 13 political reporter Moria Asaraf has accused some of her colleagues and left-wing voters of "preparing the ground" for refusing to accept the results of upcoming elections. Speaking on the program 'The Patriots' on Channel 14, Asaraf stated that she repeatedly hears claims of election fraud and theft from people she works with, suggesting this rhetoric is intended to delegitimize a potential victory by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the right-wing bloc.

Asaraf expressed doubt that the "other side" would accept the election results without protest, given the persistent claims of impending fraud. She was participating in a discussion about the influence of opinion polls on voter behavior, a topic raised by fellow journalist Amit Segal. Segal presented data indicating that 85% of respondents believe polls affect voting decisions.

During the discussion, Itamar Fleishman, a panelist on 'The Patriots,' argued that the media oversteps its role by broadcasting polls, calling it a mix of "wishful thinking and consciousness engineering." When asked if this applied to Channel 14 as well, Fleishman avoided a direct answer, stating he wasn't judging who was right.

However, Orly Vilnai, another journalist present, offered a contrasting view, noting that "both sides are saying the same thing." Moav Vardi, head of foreign affairs at Kan 11, disagreed with Asaraf, arguing that the central theme on Channel 14 is the existence of a "deep state" that is out of control, implying a different context for election result acceptance concerns.