Election panel chair allows meeting of police chief, Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, over AG objection

The Central Elections Committee chair permitted a meeting between Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, overriding the attorney general's objection. The meeting was allowed on condition that election process topics not be discussed. Opposition party Yashar alleged the meeting aimed to create a false perception of election flaws.

The Central Elections Committee on Sunday permitted a meeting between Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, despite the attorney general saying it should not be allowed to go ahead so close to Tuesday’s national vote. CEC Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg allowed the meeting but ruled that the topic of the election process must not be broached, nor any related matters that are under the committee’s jurisdiction. Sohlberg was called on to intervene after reports said that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the integrity of the election. No representatives from the opposition or the CEC were invited, according to the reports. The attorney general wrote that there is no place for involvement by political leadership in election management. Netanyahu’s legal team cited dramatic security alerts from defense entities about threats by terror entities. Opposition party Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot, alleged the meeting could be designed to undermine public trust in the results if Netanyahu loses. Likud insisted the meeting was security-related and invited the CEC to send a representative.