Former Election Official Warns of Potential Violence and Disruptions
Former election committee CEO Orly Ades warned of potential violence and disruptions on election day, criticizing a pre-vote meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the police commissioner.
Former Central Election Committee CEO Orly Ades warned on Monday of potential violence and disruptions during upcoming election day, criticizing a recent meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the police commissioner.
Speaking in a radio interview, Ades expressed concern over the timing of the meeting held just days before the vote. She noted that in her 38 years with the committee, including 16 as CEO, no similar briefing between a prime minister and the police chief regarding election preparations had ever taken place. She emphasized that because the prime minister is running in the election, maintaining police independence is crucial to avoid granting any candidate an unfair advantage.
Ades also recalled a similar incident from September 2019, when Netanyahu sought a meeting with then-committee chairman Justice Hanan Melzer shortly before the vote, a request that was ultimately declined to ensure absolute impartiality.
Addressing potential security risks, Ades warned that the upcoming election could mirror the tense atmosphere of the 1990s. She highlighted concerns over physical violence outside polling stations, attempts to obstruct voters, provocations inside polling rooms, and even the risk of ballot box theft, stressing the need for strict law enforcement.
