Elections Committee Deputy Chair: Shin Bet Chief Barred Chair from Briefing Members

The Deputy Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, MK Vladimir Belyak, revealed that the head of the Shin Bet security agency has prohibited the committee's chairman, Noam Solberg, from briefing committee members on a sensitive matter, citing classified information. Belyak stated he learned of the issue from the media and was surprised, subsequently requesting a committee meeting which he has yet to receive a response for.

Belyak expressed concern that this situation is being exploited by "interested parties," particularly from the Likud party, to launch "wild attacks" on the election results, the election process, and Israeli democracy. He noted that some are now demanding the elections be disqualified.

He described the situation as "dangerous" and emphasized his role as committee chairman is to safeguard the integrity and proper conduct of elections in Israel. Belyak suggested that the attempt to undermine the election results is motivated by a loss of 15 mandates compared to the current situation, aiming to destabilize the outcome and potentially lead to disqualification.

Belyak stated that while the committee chairman has the authority to balance classified information with public interest, the public interest necessitates refuting the "delusional claims" by Likud members calling for disqualification. He called the chairman's morning appeal to the Shin Bet chief "unprecedented" and asserted there is no reason to disqualify the elections, especially as there is no guarantee of new elections if a government is not formed. Belyak concluded that the entire campaign aims to damage the legitimacy of the Central Elections Committee, a goal he attributes to Netanyahu and the Likud, possibly in preparation for future elections.