State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman warned Tuesday that Israel is not adequately prepared for attempts by foreign actors to interfere in the 2026 Knesset election, saying significant vulnerabilities remain across the government bodies responsible for safeguarding the vote.
Englman issued the warning during a speech at Tel Aviv University’s Cyber Week conference. He said the rise in Iranian cyber activity and a series of espionage cases linked to Tehran in recent months underscore the need for rapid improvements ahead of next October’s election.
“Israel has entered an election year, and the threat intensifies during such a period,” he said. “Foreign influence can disrupt the democratic process — creating chaos on election day, undermining public trust in the system, manipulating voter behavior, distorting results and deepening social divisions.”
Englman said his office is already conducting an audit of how the government is preparing for potential foreign interference in the digital sphere. Although the review is still underway, he said early findings show “significant shortcomings.”
He urged government ministries and the Central Elections Committee to “get a grip and improve their readiness to prevent foreign influence” ahead of the 2026 vote.