Israeli Election Official Warns of Foreign Interference Campaigns
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
Dean Livneh, Acting Director-General of the Central Elections Committee, warned of foreign influence campaigns aiming to undermine public trust in Israel's upcoming October 27 elections. He stated that an 'Influence War Room' will monitor and remove harmful campaigns in coordination with major tech platforms. While acknowledging the potential for disruptions, Livneh assured that there is no current concrete indication of a security threat on election day.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Acting Elections Committee Director Dean Livneh warned of foreign campaigns seeking to undermine public trust in the elections.
- An 'Influence War Room' will coordinate with Meta, Microsoft, and Google to remove harmful election campaigns.
- The Israel Police and thousands of security guards will be deployed to ensure election day proceeds smoothly.
- Livneh stated there is currently no concrete indication of a specific security threat on election day.
- The number of petitions filed for this election cycle already equals that of five previous elections.
Dean Livneh, Acting Director-General of the Central Elections Committee, has warned of influence campaigns by foreign states aimed at undermining public trust in Israel's upcoming elections. Speaking on Kan News radio on Friday, Livneh outlined the committee's preparations for the October 27 election day, stating the need to be ready for all scenarios, from extreme possibilities like an attack on Israel to more likely disruptions at polling stations.
Livneh described the current electoral system as exceptionally intense, noting that the number of petitions filed with the chairman already equals that of five previous election cycles, with the process not yet concluded. To ensure the elections run smoothly, the Israel Police will be deployed nationwide, supplemented by thousands of security guards. Despite these measures, Livneh emphasized that there is currently no concrete indication of a specific security threat on election day.
He reiterated the warning about foreign campaigns seeking to erode public confidence, but detailed a coordinated response. An 'Influence War Room' will operate on election day, in collaboration with major platforms like Meta, Microsoft, and Google. Any campaigns found to be detrimental to the election process will be immediately removed. Livneh acknowledged the delicate balance between freedom of expression and censorship, stating, "You don't want to censor legitimate expression." He added that the Shin Bet possesses powerful tools to monitor and dismantle such campaigns if identified.
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