Gesher party files police complaint after fake news that it has quit Knesset race

Orly Levy-Abekasis’s Gesher party files a police complaint after fake text messages and fake Facebook screenshots saying the party was pulling out of tomorrow’s Knesset elections were shared on social media.

MK Orly Levy-Abekasis attends a Knesset committee meeting on March 15, 2017.(Miriam Alster/Flash90)

“Red lines have been crossed,” the party says. “Criminal acts aimed at slanting the election results are being made at these moments. We have to put an end to it. The situation in which parties and party representatives distribute lies crosses all red lines.”

The party calls on authorities to quickly locate the offenders.

Earlier today, Gesher won cases against the Likud party and the Union of Right-Wing Parties, which were forced to pay it NIS 7,500 ($2,090) each for sending out anonymous text messages “meant to hurt [Levy-Abekasis’s] chances of being elected to the Knesset.”

Central Election Committee head Hanan Melcer handed down the decision regarding the messages, which featured a survey in which Gesher wasn’t one of the options.