Shin Bet Asked to Probe Foreign Election Bribery Allegations

The Chairman of the Election Committee, Judge Solberg, has directed the Head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, to investigate suspicions of significant foreign funding aimed at influencing Israel's election results. The allegations suggest that funds from Arab entities were transferred to illegally increase voter turnout within the Arab community, with Qatar identified as the central country involved. Solberg has requested an urgent investigation to gather evidence or refute the claims, with findings to be submitted within the coming week.

In a letter to Zini, Solberg stated, "Serious suspicions have been brought before me regarding improper influence through foreign funding by external actors operating against Israeli interests, concerning the elections. It is imperative to investigate urgently to preserve the integrity of Knesset elections and prevent illegal activities aimed at undermining democratic order and preventing manipulative tactics."

These developments follow a sharp statement yesterday by the Likud party, which alleged severe criminal offenses occurred in Arab polling stations during the 26th Knesset elections, including bribery, threats, violence against polling station committee members, double voting, and discrepancies between ballot envelopes and voter numbers. Likud announced it would transfer hundreds of testimonies and evidence to the police, Shin Bet, and Election Committee, demanding a thorough investigation.

However, the police dismissed Likud's claims this morning, stating they lack investigative or intelligence support. A police statement indicated that election day proceeded with a relatively low number of unusual incidents concerning election integrity, even when compared to previous elections, and noted a nearly 40% decrease in such incidents compared to the prior election cycle.