Shas Accuses Left-Wing Bloc of Hypocrisy Amid Election Bribery Probe

The Shas party has issued a sharp statement attacking the left-wing and Arab parties following revelations of alleged election bribery and foreign involvement in vote-buying within the Arab community. Shas chairman Arieh Deri, in a statement released Thursday, accused these parties of hypocrisy, recalling the "draft dodgers' alliance" moniker used against right-wing parties during the election campaign. "The hypocrisy is exposed!" the statement read, adding that the "servants' alliance" of the left and Arabs is now mired in serious suspicions of vote-buying funded by countries hostile to Israel and supporting Hamas.

The Shas statement comes amid an expanding investigation into alleged vote-buying in the Arab community. Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg has instructed the head of the Shin Bet, David Zinai, to examine suspicions of improper foreign influence on the election process. Sohlberg's letter noted serious suspicions of foreign funding from entities working against Israeli interests, emphasizing the need for investigation to either substantiate or refute these claims.

In addition to suspicions of foreign actors encouraging votes in the Arab sector, the investigation also aims to examine alleged campaigns to suppress voter turnout in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sector. These are considered separate suspicions, with no current information linking the funding sources or involved parties. However, given the potential attempts to influence election results, the sources of funding, the individuals behind these campaigns, and the possibility of deliberate actions to harm Haredi voter turnout are all under scrutiny.

Meanwhile, police arrested additional suspects in the election bribery case. On election day, envelopes containing cash and Ra'am party ballots were seized in the Negev. The investigation suggests these funds were intended for vote-buying for the party. The Likud party has dubbed the affair "Ra'amgate," calling it an unprecedented shock and an attempt by foreign elements to influence the Knesset's composition. Boaz Bismuth, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, has called for the results of parties he termed "terrorist parties" to be invalidated pending the investigation's conclusion.