HERZLIYA — Hanan Melcer, former deputy Supreme Court president, stated that election integrity in Israel is at risk during a panel at the Herzliya Conference on July 1, 2026. "But the danger can be prevented," Melcer said. He also addressed press freedom, assessing it at 70 out of 100.

Melcer, who previously chaired the Central Elections Committee, indicated that foreign or domestic interference efforts were unsuccessful in the two elections he supervised. He issued a precedent-setting decision during his term aimed at limiting anonymous online activity during elections. Melcer emphasized the evolving nature of threats, stating, "Today, AI has entered the picture, which did not exist in my time." He proposed that during an election period, there should be no anonymity on social networks, saying, "In everything concerning social networks, there should effectively be no anonymity during an election period."

The former deputy Supreme Court president connected the decline in press freedom in Israel to government policy. Israel ranked 116th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2026 World Press Freedom Index, following a ranking of 112th in 2025. Melcer recommended that the Israel Press Council, rather than the Government Press Office, should issue press cards. He added that security screening for press cards should remain, in consultation with security authorities. He defined the role of journalists, stating, "If you bring journalistic information and not only opinions, you are considered a journalist."

Melcer confirmed the Press Council's involvement in a petition concerning Galei Tzahal. He said, "We, as the Press Council, are a party to the Galei Tzahal petition, and until now we have succeeded in preventing its closure." The High Court has frozen the closure of Army Radio while petitions challenging the decision are ongoing. The court has also issued a conditional order requiring the government to provide an explanation regarding the decision to close Army Radio. Melcer warned of potential consequences, stating, "If that happens, we will move from a democracy to something that is not a democracy."