Election Committee Chair Summons Urgent Meeting on PM, Ben-Gvir, Police Chief Discussion
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has summoned an urgent discussion and demanded immediate responses from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Police Commissioner Dani Levy regarding a planned meeting on election integrity. The petition argues the meeting, scheduled just before elections, is an improper use of state resources for political propaganda. This follows a previous canceled meeting initiated by Minister Ben-Gvir on a similar topic.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Elections Committee Chair Judge Noam Sohlberg called an urgent meeting on election integrity.
- The meeting involves Prime Minister Netanyahu, Minister Ben-Gvir, and Police Commissioner Dani Levy.
- An urgent petition seeks to block the meeting, citing improper use of state resources.
- The meeting is scheduled just 36 hours before the upcoming Knesset elections.
- This follows the prior cancellation of a similar meeting initiated by Minister Ben-Gvir.
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has called for an urgent discussion regarding a planned meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Police Commissioner Dani Levy, just under 48 hours before the upcoming elections. The meeting, scheduled for 11:00 AM, is reportedly to address "election integrity."
Sohlberg ordered Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Levy, and the Attorney General to urgently respond to a petition filed against the meeting. The petition, submitted by the "Otzmim BeYisrael" (Voters in Israel) organization, seeks to prevent the meeting, arguing it constitutes an improper use of state resources for electoral propaganda, violating election laws. The petitioners highlighted that the timing, just 36 hours before voting begins, is highly sensitive.
The petition further claims that Prime Minister Netanyahu has made statements accusing his political rivals of attempting to undermine election integrity, creating a conflict of interest for him to lead such a discussion. It argues that preparations for election day security should be handled professionally and impartially by law enforcement officials, led by the Police Commissioner, without political interference.
This comes after a similar meeting, convened by Minister Ben-Gvir to discuss police preparations for the elections, was canceled the previous week following public outcry and criticism from within the legal system. The petitioners cited this prior cancellation as further justification for preventing the current meeting organized by the Prime Minister, emphasizing that the police are already working closely with the Elections Committee and that professional meetings between the Police Commissioner and Judge Sohlberg have already taken place.
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