Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet, has launched an investigation into suspected foreign funding aimed at influencing voting in Arab communities during the country’s recent parliamentary election.
The investigation follows a directive from Central Elections Committee Chairman and Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who asked Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate allegations of foreign interference and election bribery.
Israeli media reports have identified Qatar and Turkey as possible sources of the suspected funding. However, the countries’ alleged involvement has not been established. Qatar has denied interfering in Israel’s elections.
A source within the Central Elections Committee told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that the investigation would not delay the announcement of the final election results or prevent President Isaac Herzog from inviting a party leader to begin coalition-building talks.
The source said it was too early to determine whether the allegations could lead to another election, noting that investigators must first establish whether any interference occurred and whether it affected the distribution of seats in the Knesset.
According to Israeli media reports, investigators are examining allegations that money was transferred through currency exchange businesses and local institutions to encourage voting in Arab communities through unlawful means. The source of the funds, their recipients and how they were used remain under investigation.
Sohlberg issued the directive after receiving information from Zini on Wednesday night. In a letter made public on Thursday, the elections committee chairman described the allegations as serious but said he could not independently assess their validity. He asked Shin Bet to gather evidence to either substantiate or dismiss the claims and provide available findings within the following week.
The investigation was already underway before Tuesday’s election. Zini had earlier described the election process as secure and properly supervised, while acknowledging the possibility of attempts to disrupt it.
Meanwhile, police have arrested four additional men in a separate investigation into suspected election bribery involving voting slips belonging to the United Arab List, also known as Ra’am.
The arrests bring to seven the number of suspects reported in the case, following the arrest of three residents of southern Israel on election day. Police said the four additional suspects were being questioned by Lahav 433’s National Fraud Squad.
Investigators had earlier reported recovering cash and Ra’am voting slips during searches. However, authorities have not established a connection between the bribery investigation and the suspected foreign funding.
The allegations have triggered a political dispute, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party claiming that Arab political parties secured votes through bribery, intimidation and fraud. The party said it was submitting hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence to the police, Shin Bet and the Central Elections Committee.
Police, however, rejected the broader claim that the election had been stolen, saying they had received no investigative or intelligence information supporting the allegations presented to them. They added that suspected criminal offences would be investigated and those responsible prosecuted.
Several opposition politicians have called for the allegations to be investigated thoroughly while warning against using unproven claims to undermine the election outcome. Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh described the accusations as a racist attempt to discredit Arab voters, while Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot called for a comprehensive examination of all complaints.
Under Israeli law, allegations of misconduct do not automatically invalidate election results. A challenge must be brought before the Jerusalem District Court within 14 days of the official publication of the results, although the court may extend the deadline in special circumstances.
The court can annul an election nationwide or at specific polling stations, order a rerun or correct the allocation of seats if unlawful conduct is established and could have affected the outcome.
The law also provides for appeals to the Supreme Court in specified circumstances. An election petition does not automatically suspend the work of the newly elected Knesset or invalidate decisions it has already taken.
