Israeli President Isaac Herzog has warned of “threats to the integrity of the elections, both internal and external” as the country prepares to go to the polls at the end of October.
Mr Herzog also said that “elections are not civil war” amid bitter divisions over the future of Israel after four years of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government.
Israel's President made the comments late on Tuesday, the night before the Jewish mourning day of Tisha B’Av, which marks the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
“On this day, both holy temples of the Jewish people were destroyed. For 2,000 years, this day has reminded us of the price of polarisation, division and hatred among us. This year, that message carries even greater weight, as we enter the period of elections,” Mr Herzog said.
“It is no secret that we are living through a period of disagreements. In recent days, we have once again seen dangerous violence rearing its head across the country,” he added.
Tensions are rising after Israel’s parliament was dissolved last week. Since then, ultra-Orthodox demonstrations against military conscription have turned violent. Mr Netanyahu’s party released an AI-generated election advert that many found scandalous and government ministers have been accused of using foul play to curry votes.
On Monday night, thousands of ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered outside a military prison and the home of Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, an adversary of the current government. Demonstrators breached the prison fence and fought with military police.
Coalition member Yitzhak Goldknopf attended the demonstration, as the community’s leaders continue to object to mandatory military service its young men. The issue is one of the most bitter disputes among Israeli Jews, who say the isolated ultra-Orthodox community takes unfair advantage of the state and shirks the danger that other communities face in military service.
The issue of military sacrifice also embroiled Mr Netanyahu, who was criticised for posting an AI-generated video that seemed to mock election rival Gadi Eisenkot over the death of the former military chief of staff's son in Gaza. The video, which attacks the front-runner for being sympathetic to Israeli parties that represent Palestinian citizens of Israel, included a character that many took to be the politician’s dead son, Gal Eisenkot.
There are also fears that populist government ministers, who spent much of their time in office attacking Israel’s legal establishment, might use their power to gain an unfair advantage as the vote approaches.
Shortly after Mr Herzog issued his plea, Israeli outlet Haaretz reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had ordered the police, which he controls, to put his ministry’s logo in official announcements. Sources who spoke to the newspaper said he did so to gain electoral favour.
One official in a department affected by the reported decision said it was “part of Ben-Gvir's obsession with the media, especially ahead of the election”.
