Shin Bet probes foreign election interference, warns against blaming Arab voters
The Shin Bet says its inquiry into suspected foreign funding is unfinished and limited, and must not be used to discredit Arab citizens who voted lawfully.
The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) is conducting an investigation into possible foreign interference in Israel's recent election. The inquiry, which is based on intelligence gathered by the agency itself and not from a political party, was prompted by allegations of foreign funding and election bribery. These allegations have led to competing claims and accusations, with Likud accusing Arab parties of "stealing" the election, while Arab leaders deny any wrongdoing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used the unfinished investigation to undermine the legitimacy of the election results. Opposition figures have accused Netanyahu of employing the investigation to discredit Arab parties and the democratic process. The Central Elections Committee has rejected claims of systematic election misconduct, stating that the election was conducted lawfully and that allegations of systematic harm to election integrity are unfounded.
The investigation remains incomplete, and any conclusions about foreign interference would require a separate court proceeding. The Shin Bet emphasized that its investigation is focused and limited, and should not be used to discredit a community that voted democratically and lawfully. Acting Director-General Dean Livne stated that the election had been conducted without issues and that the allegations of systematic harm to election integrity are baseless.
Netanyahu's party, Likud, has accused Arab parties of various offenses, including bribery, intimidation, fraud, and other irregularities, and intends to seek the invalidation of results at polling stations where it suspects irregularities. Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas welcomed the investigation, denied any connection to the allegations, and pledged full cooperation with law enforcement.
Qatari and Turkish officials have denied any involvement in the election, with the Turkish presidency's Center for Combating Disinformation calling the allegations baseless.
Eisenkot, speaking after the meeting with Zini and Shin Bet Director David Zini, called for an investigation free of political interference and urged opposition leaders to accept the election results. The precise date the investigation began, and when Sohlberg first received the information, remain unclear, as neither Sohlberg's letter nor the Shin Bet's statement has identified the countries, political parties, or funding routes involved in the allegations.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
