Likud Accuses Palestinian Official, Leftist Group of Spreading Falsehoods in Haaretz Report

The Likud party has issued a sharp statement accusing Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and a leftist organization of being involved in the dissemination of false information. The ruling party alleges that Dahlan, who resides in the UAE, is behind a recent report in the newspaper Haaretz, claiming it is an attempt at foreign interference in Israeli elections. Likud asserts that Dahlan has a political interest in replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, aiming to eventually control the Gaza Strip and seeking a weak left-wing government to facilitate this.

The party also targeted Shlomi Eldar, claiming he received payment from a leftist organization linked to Yair Golan's 'Democrats' party to spread what Likud calls a fabricated story. However, no further details or evidence regarding this alleged payment or the organization's connection to the party were provided.

Likud further connected the affair to recent visits by Yair Golan and Ronen Bar to the United Arab Emirates, questioning if these secret visits are related to the Haaretz publication. The Haaretz report itself, by journalist Shlomi Eldar, alleged that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu about Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar preparing for a 'significant event' before October 7th, a warning Netanyahu allegedly did not relay to security officials.

In response to the Haaretz report, Prime Minister Netanyahu sent a legal notice to the newspaper and its journalists, demanding the article's removal, an apology, and NIS 1 million within 72 hours, or face a lawsuit exceeding NIS 2.5 million. The UAE officially responded to the publication, stating, 'We are not part of the event,' and noting the difficulty in constantly refuting rumors in the Israeli media.

Likud concluded its statement by calling for a criminal investigation into Shlomi Eldar, Ruth Yuval, Haaretz newspaper, Yair Golan, and the 'Democrats' party for suspected election interference involving foreign elements.