‘Elections are not a civil war’: Herzog urges restraint as campaign begins

President Isaac Herzog called Tuesday for Israel’s election campaign to be conducted without incitement or violence, warning political leaders not to turn their rivals into enemies and declaring that “elections are not a civil war.” In a national address marking the beginning of the campaign, Herzog urged Israelis to participate in the election while safeguarding the unity of society and the integrity of the democratic process. His remarks came on the eve of Tisha B’Av, the Jewish fast day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples, traditionally associated with the consequences of internal division and baseless hatred. “For two thousand years, this day has reminded us of the price of polarization, division and hatred among us,” Herzog said. “This year, that message carries even greater weight as we enter the election period.” Herzog described elections as both the culmination of democracy and a test of Israeli social cohesion. “This is the opportunity for each and every one of us to influence the country’s future and the fateful issues before it,” he said. “I call on all citizens of Israel to take an active part in these elections: to listen, to make your voice heard, to show respect and to vote.” The president also warned of threats to the integrity of the election from within Israel and abroad. He said that about two weeks earlier, he had met Central Elections Committee Chairman and Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg, as well as Shin Bet chief David Zini, who briefed him on potential risks to the electoral process. “They presented me with various threats to the integrity of the elections, both internal and external,” Herzog said. He pledged support for the Central Elections Committee, the security services and law enforcement agencies, and called on them to act firmly against attempts to interfere with the vote. Herzog also warned Israelis to exercise caution when consuming and sharing information online. “In the age of social media, the dangers are great,” he said. “All of us must be thoughtful, careful and responsible in the content we consume, and all the more so in the content we broadcast.” Referring to recent incidents of violence across the country, Herzog addressed elected officials, campaign activists and candidates directly. “Do not cross red lines,” he said. “Do not turn rivals into enemies.” He cited the rabbinic warning, “Sages, be careful with your words,” and said public figures bore particular responsibility for preventing political rhetoric from escalating into violence. “Disagreement and criticism are the lifeblood of our democracy,” Herzog said. “But our belonging to this place and our responsibility for our shared future here, for our children and grandchildren, come before all else.” Herzog noted that while governments change after elections, the country’s population remains together regardless of political affiliation. “On the day after the election, all of us will remain here, Israelis of every background and every point of view,” he said. “We must not wait for tragedies, God forbid, to remind us that we live here together, as one people.” Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also raised concerns Tuesday about attempts to influence the election. Speaking at a gathering of supporters, Bennett said Iran and Qatar had invested billions in campaigns intended to deepen divisions inside Israel. “For years, the Iranians and Qataris have invested billions in a poisonous influence campaign inside Israel in order to set us against one another from within,” Bennett said. “What hurts most is that these days, that poison is being fired by parties from within the State of Israel through repulsive campaigns. What the Iranians and Qataris fail to do to us, some people among us are doing themselves.” During a meeting earlier this month at the President’s Residence, Zini stressed that on election-related matters, the Shin Bet operates under the authority of Sohlberg as chairman of the Central Elections Committee. That meeting followed controversy over Zini’s statement that he was “loyal to the elected echelon.” At the time, Herzog said there were actors inside Israel, and particularly abroad, seeking to interfere with the election and undermine Israeli society. “Ensuring the proper conduct of the election is a national challenge of the highest order,” Herzog said. He also warned in a speech at the Herzliya Conference last month that continued internal fragmentation could leave Israeli society divided into isolated and exhausted groups. “This is an emergency,” Herzog said then. “Elections are not a civil war.”