Shin Bet Probes Foreign Funding and Election Bribery Allegations

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, has ordered the Shin Bet to investigate suspicions of foreign funding and election bribery by external entities operating against Israeli interests. Solberg requested that the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, present findings within the coming week, emphasizing that foreign involvement necessitates a thorough inquiry.

Reports indicate the Shin Bet has been examining suspicions of funds transferred from abroad, including from Qatar, to organizations that encouraged voting within the Arab community. These investigations reportedly involve suspicions that millions of shekels originating from adversarial nations were used to purchase votes. Concurrently, police are investigating separate allegations of election bribery in the south, where cash was found in the homes of three residents on election day, allegedly intended for voters of Arab parties. This case has been transferred to the National Fraud Investigation Unit, which has since arrested four additional men.

The Election Law prohibits offering or giving bribes to influence a person's vote, whether for a specific party or in general. This prohibition also applies to those who receive or agree to receive bribes, with penalties of up to five years imprisonment or a fine. Bribes are not limited to cash and can include items of value, services, or other benefits. The law excludes transporting voters to and from polling stations and separately prohibits promising employment in exchange for a vote.

Crucially, the law does not distinguish between benefits intended to sway votes to a specific party and those aimed solely at increasing voter turnout. Even paying a voter to simply show up and cast a ballot, regardless of their choice, is considered election bribery. This principle may be central to the current investigation into funding for groups that encouraged voting across the Arab community.

In contrast, Yosef Jabareen, Chairman of the Joint List, described encouraging voting in the Arab community as a "legal, legitimate, and even blessed act," stating there is "nothing wrong" with budgets being transferred to raise voter turnout. This stance contradicts the law's prohibition on providing any benefit to a voter to influence their vote, even if not directed at a specific party.

The Elections Committee has previously taken a strict stance on even minor gifts. In the 2020 elections, then-Chairman Judge Niel Hendel ordered the Shas party to cease distributing boxes containing two Shabbat candles, bearing the image of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the Shas name, along with amulets. Hendel rejected Shas's argument that this case differed from prior precedents prohibiting the distribution of Shabbat candles, highlighting the strict interpretation of election bribery laws.