After several days of delay, Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet has begun sharing information with police about possible foreign interference in the parliamentary election. At the center of the investigation are alleged money flows from Qatar, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority. The investigation has not yet been concluded.
The documents are to be handed over in stages. Further information will follow on Thursday and Friday, according to the intelligence service. The Shin Bet attributed the delay to the necessary procedures for processing and transferring the information. The handover is being made to a special investigation team, which also includes representatives of the Israeli police.
Suspicion of money from Qatar, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority
At the center of the investigation is the suspicion that foreign actors may have transferred significant sums of money to Israel. The money is alleged to have flowed to individuals connected to the Joint List, an alliance of predominantly Arab parties. The alleged aim was to influence voting behavior and the outcome of the parliamentary election.
The Shin Bet had already gathered indications of possible illegal money transfers prior to the election. On Wednesday, the intelligence service briefed the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, on findings that could point to extensive foreign financing activities. According to the service’s assessment, thousands of people could be involved in such influence operations. At the same time, it emphasized that the findings to date are still preliminary and that further investigation is necessary.
Qatar and Turkey have rejected any interference in the Israeli election. The Qatari foreign ministry described the allegations as a disinformation campaign. Ankara also stated that the accusations are unfounded.
Dispute over questioning of Arab lawmakers
The delay in handing over the documents is part of an open conflict between Shin Bet director David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Zini is reported to have requested that several senior politicians from Arab parties be questioned as suspects under formal criminal caution. These include Ahmad Tibi of Ta’al, Mansour Abbas of Ra’am, and Sami Abu Shehadeh of Balad, as well as another lawmaker whose name may not yet be made public.
Baharav-Miara initially demanded concrete evidence for this. Citizens and elected representatives cannot be questioned as suspects on the basis of suspicion alone, she stated. Such questioning can only be authorized once sufficiently substantiated material is available.
The Likud party subsequently accused the attorney general of obstructing the investigation. Representatives of the Arab parties, in turn, warned against broadly characterizing the votes of Arab citizens as a security problem.
No questioning of lawmakers in this case is currently planned. Arrests in connection with the alleged foreign money transfers are also not imminent at this time. Police must first evaluate the material that has been handed over and determine whether it gives rise to specific grounds for criminal suspicion.
The matter explicitly concerns suspicion of possible foreign influence through financial payments. According to the Central Elections Committee, there is no evidence of systematic manipulation of the vote count or election results. The authority stated that the election was conducted properly.
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