Israel Police Prepare for Possible Unrest After Knesset Election, With 22,000 Officers Deployed

Israel Police are preparing for possible clashes and public order disruptions around the elections for the 26th Knesset, with the greatest concern focused on the hours after exit polls are released. A senior police official said voting day itself is expected to pass relatively quietly, but that tension could linger into the days that follow.

The exit poll results are due at 10:00 p.m. According to the official, they could bring either celebrating or angry citizens into the streets. "I think the day after, as we call it, is no less sensitive," he said. Police are preparing for friction, confrontations and disorder through the night, the next day and into the weekend, and cannot limit their attention to polling stations during voting hours. Large forces will stay active nationwide after the polls close.

Police will also secure five major party gatherings, four in Tel Aviv and one for Likud at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem. "Every setup like this, and I am referring to party events, requires a very large number of police forces," the official said.

About 22,000 officers are scheduled to take part in the security operation, up from roughly 17,000 in the previous election. The official said a comprehensive briefing was presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attending. It covered intelligence assessments, the threat of hostile terrorist activity, public order concerns and operational readiness. Police have been preparing for about three months with the Shin Bet and the IDF, according to the official, who added that the prime minister and his ministry director-general were impressed by the staff work.

The official also stressed police independence. "It is completely impossible to hold elections in the State of Israel without an apolitical police force," he said, adding that even while under the National Security Minister, police must stay free of political influence in both conduct and public perception.

Concern about extraordinary post-election events is not new. In August, Maariv military correspondent Avi Ashkenazi reported that the defense establishment was preparing for "Operation Capitol," a scenario in which one of the two political blocs claims the results were forged, rejects them and acts to undermine public order. The plan was shaped by the January 6, 2021 storming of the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump after his loss to Joe Biden. A team led by retired Maj.-Gen. Sigal Bar-Tzvi, a former head of the Police Operations Directorate, drafted the order. It covers claims of widespread fraud, attempts to disrupt the vote count, and a scenario in which tens of thousands try to storm the Knesset.

A senior retired police officer said Police Commissioner Danny Levy should be most concerned about election night rather than deployment on voting day. He described a dangerous scenario in which a bloc leader rejects the results and calls supporters into the streets, while the opposing camp mobilizes to defend the democratic process. In that case, he said, police would need help from other bodies, chiefly the IDF.

Several former police and Shin Bet officials argue the scenario should top the priority list, with formal orders on force allocation, exercises at National Headquarters and across districts, and even a war game for commanders. "It would be a massive failure if it turns out this scenario was not placed at the top of the list," one former security official said. Maariv learned that Levy held periodic conversations with former senior officials, some of whom raised concerns.

One retired police major general said the Shin Bet and police are responsible for an orderly transfer of power, but that it is currently difficult to rely on the Shin Bet. He pointed to a news channel airing weekly polls that diverge from other surveys, which he said could prepare a narrative of stolen elections, and to a campaign against the Central Elections Committee and the Supreme Court. He also warned about widespread civilian firearms and armed groups, calling it a dangerous platform for civil war. "This is a test of leadership," he said.