Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir Discussed Election Integrity Despite Court Restrictions

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party (also referred to in reports as Yash!, Yishai!, and Yamina), formally appealed to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Solberg to cancel the meeting. Eisenkot argued that Netanyahu, as a candidate, has no authority over election integrity, which is the sole responsibility of the Central Elections Committee. He warned that the meeting, which excluded opposition leaders and election committee representatives, was an unprecedented attempt to create a false narrative of compromised election integrity and preemptively erode public trust in the results.

Prior to the meeting, Commissioner Levy had refused to meet with Minister Ben-Gvir alone, following concerns within law enforcement that Ben-Gvir might exploit the discussion for political gain. Justice Solberg declined to block the meeting but ruled that neither the Prime Minister nor the National Security Minister has authority to direct the police on election integrity. The Central Elections Committee clarified that while Netanyahu could receive security updates, the police commissioner remains bound by the committee's directives.

During the meeting, Ben-Gvir raised concerns about potential disruptions by what he termed anarchist groups, while Netanyahu questioned the police strategy for handling such incidents. Commissioner Levy assured them that all leads are being investigated and that any road blockades on election day would be met with a firm hand. The police are deploying 22,000 officers across the country to secure the vote.