Shin Bet Chief Warns of Iranian, Russian, and Chinese Election Interference in Israel

Shin Bet chief David Zini warned in a closed Knesset intelligence subcommittee meeting that the main foreign attempts to influence the upcoming Israeli elections come from Iran, but also involve Russia and China. This was reported on Monday evening by Kan News. Security officials and members of the Central Elections Committee who attended the session outlined the election protection system, which includes dozens of computer systems supporting election day management and data transmission. All systems will have manual backup mechanisms to counter digital failures or sabotage.

During the discussion, Central Elections Committee chairman MK Boaz Bismuth criticized the committee for making "questionable appointments." In response, a Shin Bet representative accompanying Zini cautioned that "erosion of trust in institutions, including the Elections Committee, is a serious security challenge." He added that this erosion "creates fertile ground for influence attempts by actors seeking to undermine confidence in election results."

Separately, the article noted a controversy over billboards featuring former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot placed in Cyprus. Additionally, Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich is considering requesting an additional reserved spot on the election list to diversify it further.