Israeli Election Committee overrules AG, lets Ben-Gvir attend police confab

The Central Elections Committee chairman of Israel, Noam Sohlberg, has allowed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to attend a police volunteers conference, despite Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara's opposition. The decision was made by Sohlberg, who dismissed petitions against Ben-Gvir's attendance, citing the minister's pledge not to deliver electioneering remarks during the event. Sohlberg emphasized the need for a prompt resolution due to the scheduled time of the conference on Monday evening.

Law enforcement sources revealed that the timing of the conference was planned to coincide with the election campaign and that Ben-Gvir intended to speak about his work to an audience of thousands. This move, according to the sources, would amount to illegal, police-funded electioneering. The petitions against Ben-Gvir's participation were filed by Voters for Israel and the Zulat Institute.

Initially, the National Security Ministry intended to fund the conference, but due to legal issues, the police organization took over the funding several weeks ago.

The conference was originally set for 2025, a year after the police volunteer program celebrated 50 years since its founding. Volunteers expressed pressure from their commanders to attend the conference, which featured performances by singers Moshe Peretz and Ivri Lider. With low ticket sales, the police opened sales to rank-and-file officers, as well as relatives and friends of the volunteers.

The state argued that the event's date was set before an election date was determined, and Ben-Gvir's participation, including delivering remarks, is prohibited, raising concerns about illegal electioneering using public resources.