(Oct. 16, 2026 / JNS)
Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levi met with senior commanders on Wednesday to review the force’s readiness for the Oct. 27 Knesset election, he said in a joint statement with the Central Elections Committee on Thursday.
“We are prepared for any scenario in order to safeguard the integrity of the elections, in all operational aspects,” Levi said.
CEC Acting Director-General Din Livneh attended the meeting alongside representatives of the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet).
The discussion focused on maintaining public order and ensuring that the vote for the 26th Knesset is held properly and safely.
“The cooperation between the Central Elections Committee and the Israel Police is unprecedented in its scope. We were presented with record preparedness by the police,” Livneh said.
“We thank the entire police, and the commissioner in particular, for the professional preparations and the full mobilization,” he added.
Levi stressed that the Israel Police “is a professional and apolitical police, and will remain so.” He said he had ordered that no officer voice political views while on duty, and that anyone who violates the order “will not be able to continue serving.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Tuesday that Israel has identified attempts by Iran and its proxies to carry out terrorist attacks aimed at influencing the results of the Oct. 27 vote.
“We must stand united and make clear that political disagreements will not undermine our collective resolve against our enemies,” he said.
Katz pledged that the political echelon would act alongside the IDF and other security agencies to protect the country, stressing that security decisions would be made “without regard to any other consideration.” He warned that anyone attacking Israel before or after the election, or harming Israeli soldiers or civilians, would “pay the heaviest price.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his Cabinet on Tuesday that Hamas would try to challenge Israel ahead of the election.
“Precisely because Hamas is so weak, it will try to challenge us with the remainder of its forces ahead of the elections,” the prime minister said. “We are ready for this. First of all, we will thwart such attempts. And, in any case, we will respond to them with tremendous force if they make this mistake. I say to all our enemies: ‘Look at what we did to you on seven fronts in the War of Revival. Don’t tangle with us.’”
Also on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that Jerusalem is prepared for any scenario, including what he called a “turning of barrels” by the Palestinian Authority. He warned enemies not to test the Jewish state.
“Our enemies are thinking of testing us these days ahead of the elections,” Netanyahu said during a visit to the seam line area of the Samaria security barrier.
The IDF has deployed the 98th Division to Judea and Samaria to bolster security and maintain regional stability in response to a surge in intelligence alerts, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced on Wednesday.
Zamir cautioned that the potential for multi-front escalation has grown and emphasized that troops are prepared to swiftly thwart terror threats.
“The IDF is at a high level of readiness to launch extensive offensive operations against anyone who attempts to harm Israeli civilians,” he said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the opening votes at Israel’s embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday. Early voting is much more restricted in Israel than in the United States, but diplomats and their families stationed in foreign countries are an exception.