Ra'am Chairman Denies Party Involvement in Election Bribery Probe
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas denied his party's involvement in an election bribery probe involving foreign funding, welcoming the investigation. The probe, ordered by the Central Elections Committee chairman, will examine alleged Qatari funding to boost Arab voter turnout illegally. Four suspects were arrested in connection with the bribery allegations, with financial channels resembling those used for terror funds. The affair has ignited political debate, with the Likud calling it an "earthquake" and Balad accusing the right of a "racist blood libel."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas denied his party's involvement in an election bribery investigation.
- The probe will examine alleged foreign funding, potentially from Qatar, to influence election results.
- Four suspects were arrested for election bribery, with similar financial channels to terror funding.
- The affair has caused political controversy, with differing reactions from right-wing and opposition parties.
- Abbas also criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu for campaigning against Arab citizens.
Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, has publicly addressed the investigation into alleged election bribery involving foreign funding. He welcomed the decision by the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, to order a probe, emphasizing that his party has no connection to the matter. "Maintaining the purity of elections and the rule of law is a civic and democratic duty that we have inscribed on our flag," Abbas stated. He further asserted, "Ra'am has no connection to the mentioned affair or any other affairs, and we declare that we will cooperate fully with all legal authorities to uncover the truth."
Abbas also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of campaigning against Arab citizens. "There will be nothing, because there is nothing. But unlike you, for us, this is the truth and not another lie," Abbas said.
The investigation, ordered by Judge Sohlberg, directs the Head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, to urgently examine suspicions of foreign funding, potentially from Qatar, aimed at influencing election results by illegally increasing voter turnout in the Arab community. Concurrently, four suspects have been arrested for election bribery, following the arrest of three others on election day. Investigators suspect that some of the financial channels used in this case are similar to those previously employed for transferring terror funds.
The affair has sparked political controversy. Right-wing factions are demanding a thorough investigation, while opposition parties warn against exploiting the situation for political gain. The Likud party described the situation as an "earthquake" and claimed the elections were "stolen," while Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of Balad, accused the right of spreading a "racist blood libel." Meanwhile, the former Prime Minister of Qatar congratulated Arab parties on their election achievements. The police have assured that all suspicions regarding election integrity will be investigated thoroughly and impartially.
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