Election Committee rejects Netanyahu’s request for emergency meeting
Gantz requested a meeting himself with Melcer in order to persuade him not to meet with Netanyahu.
By GIL HOFFMANPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi, Russia September 12, 2019.(photo credit: REUTERS/SHAMIL ZHUMATOV)
The head of the Central Elections Committee Supreme Court Judge Hanan Melcer turned down a request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold a “emergency meeting” on alleged forgeries in the Arab sector in the April election.Netanyahu requested the meeting following an investigation published in Friday’s Maariv newspaper, which found that out of 82 incidents of forgeries published months ago in the newspaper, only two of the 82 who complained about the alleged forgeries were contacted by police.But Blue and White leader Benny Gantz asked Melcer not to meet with Netanyahu, saying that it would be interfering in the election and helping Netanyahu harm the election process.Gantz requested a meeting himself with Melcer in order to persuade him not to meet with Netanyahu.Melcer ruled that neither Netanyahu nor Gantz would get to meet with him and told them that if they have a problem they can send him a letter.After Melcer refused to meet with Netanyahu, he nevertheless went to the Knesset and, in a live Facebook post, called Melcer's decision to not address the issue "scandalous."Gantz responded to Netanyahu's speech at the Knesset by sharply criticizing the prime minister."After trampling the image of the police, prosection and Hight Court of Justice, Netanyah is resorting to a targeted assassination of the Central Elections Committee and removing the legitimacy of the entire democratic process," Gantz said.
