Despite the Interior Minister's announcements about joint and agreed preparations with the army for local elections, the details turn out to be completely different. Military representatives who arrived at a preparedness meeting at the Interior Ministry informed the ministry officials: "We are not prepared to hold the elections, there are operational difficulties."
At a preparedness meeting held at the Interior Ministry last week, attended by Attorney General Yehuda Zemerat and Election Supervisor Ryan Ghanem, military representatives presented the problems of holding elections in wartime. The details obtained by Israel Hayom show that in a meeting that ended in an explosion, no less than 10,000 regular soldiers are needed as members of the polling committee for election day, a number that seems fanciful when the IDF's manpower is stretched to the limit.
Lack of security companies too
The military also said 1,600 more polling stations were needed than the 800 initially decided, and the military said it would be able to hold elections on a date set for late January. Military officials eventually told ministry officials that "there are operational difficulties," adding that they were not prepared to hold the elections in the manner decided during the war. Despite the "values" statement by the commander of the Home Front Command that it is necessary to maintain routine during wartime, it seems that in the face of the moral decisions of the bureaucrats in the Ministry of the Interior, there are real difficulties of war that the army must deal with.
These are just some of the difficulties raised by people involved in organizing local elections during the war. Among other things, it emerged that there is a real difficulty in recruiting 14,8 security guards to the polling stations because of the shortage in the private security companies whose personnel are recruited to the reserves. Another problem is the need for more than 000,<> police officers to secure polling stations while police operate in a variety of arenas in light of the fighting in the north and south.
"The IDF is preparing for the mission"
The date of the elections was announced by Interior Minister Arbel a week ago on the recommendation of professionals in his ministry - January 31. But just this past weekend, war cabinet ministers told the Biden administration's national security adviser, who visited Israel, that the war would continue for at least another month. In other words, even assuming that an active front is not opened from the north, preparations for elections will take place during a high-intensity war in the south, which will not allow 300,<> reserve soldiers to fully and democratically participate. In light of the new details, it is doubtful whether the IDF and security forces will know how to maintain a logistical system that will enable the required election integrity.
Minister of the Interior and Health Moshe Arbel, Photo: Haim Goldberg/Flash90
The Interior Ministry: "We can confirm that the National Supervisor of Elections and his team met with the IDF's Chief Election Officer and her senior staff. The meeting was substantive in order to ensure an efficient and safe voting process for all those serving in the IDF. The National Inspector General was pleased to hear the Chief Elections Officer clarify that despite the challenges, the IDF is preparing to carry out the mission."
An IDF spokesperson said in response: "The National Supervisor of Elections and his team met with the IDF's Chief Election Officer regarding the upcoming elections for the authorities. During the meeting, she emphasized that despite the challenges of the period, the IDF is preparing to carry out the mission as required, in a way that will allow all those serving in the regular or reserve army to vote."
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