Shin Bet is subordinate to elections chief, Israeli president tells security service director

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has emphasised that the country’s internal security service, the Shin Bet, must defer to the elections committee on all matters related to voting. The statement was made during a meeting at the President’s residence that was convened at the initiative of Shin Bet Director Ronen Zini following recent comments about the security chief’s loyalty to elected officials. Herzog stressed that in electoral matters specifically, the Shin Bet answers to the chairman of the elections committee. The president also warned of attempts from both domestic and international actors to undermine the integrity of Israel’s elections, describing efforts to interfere with the democratic process as a matter of grave concern. The meeting appears designed to clarify the security service’s role and independence in relation to electoral oversight during a sensitive political period.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.