Knesset Guard preps for ‘Capitol riot’ scenario after Israeli elections

Security agencies are preparing for several Election Day scenarios including a mass attempt to storm the Knesset.

By Josh Plank, World Israel News

As Israelis head to the polls Tuesday for the country’s fourth election in two years, security forces at the Knesset are carefully monitoring the situation for any signs of violent activity, including possible attempts by protesters to enter the building in a manner similar to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in Washington, DC.

Channel 13 reported Monday that the Knesset Guard and other security agencies were preparing for several Election Day scenarios such as a mass attempt to storm the Knesset during or after the election.

A special operations room has been established at the location to enable the police and Shin Bet security agency to monitor events.

The security agencies will be on high alert throughout the day and into the night with polls closing at 10:00 p.m. in most locations.

Exit polls are expected to be released after the close of voting, although the official results may not be known for days.

Complicating Tuesday’s election, the Central Elections Committee expects around 600,000 citizens to cast their votes in double envelopes used by those who are in quarantine or otherwise unable to reach their assigned voting station.

In such cases, voter information on the outer envelopes must first be checked before the envelopes can be removed and the slips within the inner envelopes counted, which is expected to delay the results.

Orly Adas, director of the Central Elections Committee, told Channel 13 that although there have been efforts to delegitimize the results of the election, she does not believe anything similar to the Capitol riot will happen in Israel.

“I do not think it will come here,” she said, noting that Israel is a different place with different circumstances.

On Jan. 20, senior members of the Knesset including speaker of the house Yariv Levin and Internal Security Minister Amir Ohana held a meeting to examine the scenario of a mob trying to take over the Knesset.

According to reports, the officials wanted to make sure that in the case of an attempted mass takeover, the Knesset Guard would be able to handle the situation for a prolonged time without reinforcements.