Police chief vows to deploy ‘full strength’ to protect integrity of election
In statement ahead of vote, Daniel Levy doesn't mention controversial sit-down with Netanyahu and Ben Gvir; 7.3 million Israelis eligible to vote at 18,000 ballot boxes, says CEC
The Israel Police have discovered and taken down a series of social media accounts on X/Twitter that were allegedly attempting to sway the outcome of the upcoming Knesset elections, according to police officials. The discovery was made through a collaborative effort between the police and the State Attorney's Office, and the offending accounts were subsequently removed to prevent any undue influence on the Israeli public's voting decisions.
Police Commissioner Danny Levy announced the operation on Sunday, stating that the police have taken extensive measures to ensure the security of the elections and public safety, emphasizing that they will not tolerate violence, threats, incitement, or criminality that could undermine the democratic process. He vowed to preserve Israeli democracy impartially and without compromise.
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) made a similar announcement on Thursday, also removing numerous accounts from social media sites for manipulation efforts. The Shin Bet reported that the activity of the removed accounts may have facilitated foreign influence on the election.
According to an open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigation conducted by Golden Owl, Iran-linked actors were found to be behind social media accounts where individuals posed as Israeli citizens and made claims about Israeli politics. These accounts reportedly made posts claiming that the election results would be stolen and spread misinformation about the voting process itself.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
