The Israeli occupation entity’s Knesset is set to discuss today the findings of a report by the so-called “State Comptroller” examining the use of information systems and cybersecurity safeguards during three consecutive election cycles in 2019–2020. The report exposes serious vulnerabilities and systemic failures in addressing the threats arising from them.
According to the Zionist newspaper Israel Hayom, the Central Elections Committee was tasked with formulating an action plan based on the report’s recommendations. Yet shortcomings in preparedness surfaced there as well during a recent closed session attended by the committee’s chair, Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Solberg.
Advanced Iranian AI Capabilities
In parallel, Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher in the Iran Program at the Israeli occupation Institute for National Security Studies and former head of the Iran desk in military intelligence research, acknowledged that the Israeli enemy is ill-prepared for such threats. “This is a massive challenge we will have to confront over the coming year, and our tools are extremely limited,” he said.
Citrinowicz noted that certain political actors prefer to avoid confronting foreign influence altogether, while security-establishment involvement in such a sensitive arena remains highly contentious. Technically, he added, identifying automated accounts has become far more complex, as Iranians are now employing advanced artificial intelligence–based technologies.
Iran and the Israeli Elections
Likud Knesset member Moshe Saada likewise warned that, in light of recent developments, “Israel” must brace for emerging challenges originating from Iran. These include attempts to directly influence Israeli elections, alongside cyber threats. He cautioned against expected attacks targeting Knesset members and interference within the Central Elections Committee, urging early action to counter both Iranian influence operations and unprecedented cyberattacks.
The newspaper also recalled the recent breach by the hacker group “Hanzala,” which compromised the phones of several Zionist politicians.
AI and the 2026 Vote
Against this backdrop, Deputy Chair of the Central Elections Committee and Blue and White lawmaker Eitan Ginzburg described the recent hacks and data leaks as “a deafening wake-up call.” He warned that the 2026 elections could face a compound threat: cyberattacks and device breaches combined with the widespread use of artificial intelligence to manufacture virtual realities and engineer public perception on a large scale.
Ginzburg stressed that “Israel” must urgently develop an effective response to protect the digital sphere using new and advanced tools. “We cannot expose this arena to foreign actors seeking to sow chaos and undermine public trust in the electoral process,” he said.
Source: Al-Ahed News (Edited and translated by Al-Manar News Website)