Election Committee Head Rejects Bid to Block Netanyahu's Call with Police Chief

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, has rejected a petition seeking to prevent a planned work call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Police Commissioner, just two days before the upcoming elections. The petition was filed by the "Vozrim Be'Yisrael" (Voters in Israel) organization, which argued that the meeting could compromise the integrity of the elections. Sohlberg ruled that insufficient evidence was presented to prove that the meeting itself would constitute an election violation.

Netanyahu's response to the petition stated that the call was intended to receive an update from Police Commissioner Dani Levi regarding the police's security preparations for election day, citing threats and warnings. He emphasized that the call was unrelated to election integrity and that his responsibility for national security continues regardless of the election proximity. This aligns with the Likud party's position that the meeting is a continuation of a security discussion involving defense officials.

Conversely, the Attorney General's office argued that the police should operate under the guidance of the Central Elections Committee chairman regarding election management and public order. They contended that political figures and candidates should not interfere in these matters, and therefore, a meeting focused on election management or topics within the committee chairman's purview should not occur.

While dismissing the petition, Justice Sohlberg clarified the boundaries of political figures' authority concerning election preparations. He stated that the Prime Minister and the National Security Minister are permitted to meet with the Police Commissioner on general public order matters and receive updates on police readiness. However, he stressed that they do not have the authority to issue directives to the commissioner on matters of election integrity or preparations, which fall under the purview of the Elections Committee chairman. Sohlberg noted that he registered Netanyahu's declaration that the conversation would be a phone call and would not discuss election preparations or integrity, and cautioned all parties to strictly adhere to their designated authorities regarding election matters.