Is Russia trying to meddle in the Israeli election?

(Image credit: JACK GUEZ / Getty Images)

published 9 January 2019

The Israeli government is trying to reassure people it can thwart foreign meddling in the country's upcoming election, The Associated Press reports.

"Israel is braced to foil cyber interference. We are ready for any scenario. There is no country better prepared than us," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday.

Netanyahu's comments come after the state suppressed a speech given by his domestic intelligence chief Nadav Argaman, which accused a foreign power of trying to hack the vote, Reuters reports. A military gag order prevented the media from naming the country that Argaman accused, but fingers immediately pointed to Russia, as Israel's intelligence minister said last month that the Kremlin could try and replicate its alleged meddling in the U.S. 2016 election.

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A spokesman for the Kremlin denied the accusations, saying that "Russia has not interfered, does not interfere, and doesn't intend to interfere" in any elections.

Despite facing allegations of corruption, Netanyahu leads the polls for re-election to a fifth term in April, per Reuters. The Israeli prime minister holds a positive relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and President Trump has previously labelled Putin a "fan" of Netanyahu.

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Marianne is The Weekâ€™s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.