Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has accused Turkey and Qatar of election interference in Israel’s vote, as the Shin Bet looks into suspected foreign funding.
Hebrew-language media said Likud believes Ankara and Doha funded groups that urged Arab citizens to vote, The Times of Israel reported on Thursday. However, nobody has publicly produced evidence to support the claims.
Shin Bet asked to examine election interference claims
Central Elections Committee chair, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, asked Shin Bet chief David Zini on Wednesday to investigate. He cited “suspicions of foreign funding and possible election bribery by foreign entities”.
Sohlberg also said he could not vouch for the suspicions. Still, he asked for any findings within a week, Israel Hayom reported, because of legal deadlines for election appeals.
Read more: Israel Election: Exit Polls Put Netanyahu’s Likud First but No Bloc Wins a Majority
Israel’s Channel 12 said the election interference probe rests on intelligence that reached the Shin Bet. The agency then passed that intelligence to Sohlberg.
According to the reports, the channels allegedly used to move the money look similar to those once used to fund terrorism. However, no court has tested these allegations.
Police have arrested seven suspects in a separate case of alleged vote-buying linked to the Arab party Ra’am, Israel National News reported. Ra’am has denied any wrongdoing.
Earlier on Thursday, a police source rejected Likud’s claims that Arab parties had “stolen” the election. The source said there was “no evidence” to back them.
Arab parties hold the balance
Arab votes have become central after Tuesday’s poll, which exit polls showed had no clear winner. Estimates give the Joint List 12 seats and Ra’am seven.
Together, those 19 seats could decide any alternative government. As a result, the election interference row could shape what happens next.
In response, Likud called Sohlberg’s remarks a “dramatic turn”. The party also urged every Jewish Zionist party not to work with Ra’am or the Joint List.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the arrest of Arab party leaders, provided there are legal grounds. In contrast, Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot warned against using the election interference claims to delay the new Knesset’s swearing-in.
So far, no authority has shown that Turkey or Qatar played any part. The two countries recently signed a new defence cooperation deal with Pakistan and Indonesia.
President Isaac Herzog urged leaders to keep an open mind in coalition talks. He said Israel must do all it can to avoid another election.
Source: The Times of Israel, Israel Hayom, Israel National News
