Ra'am Leader Denies Election Interference Claims, Blames Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Mansour Abbas, president of the Ra'am party, denied allegations of foreign funding influencing Israeli elections and accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of incitement. The Shin Bet is investigating "serious suspicions" of foreign influence, reportedly linked to Qatar and Turkey, following a request by Central Elections Committee President Noam Sohlberg. President Isaac Herzog stressed the importance of election integrity while warning against generalizations, as opposition figures supported the probe but accused Netanyahu of exploiting it. Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Avigdor Lieberman called for interrogations of Arab party leaders.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas denied election interference claims and accused PM Netanyahu of incitement.
- Shin Bet is investigating "serious suspicions" of foreign influence on Israeli elections.
- The investigation reportedly focuses on potential financial links to Qatar and Turkey.
- President Herzog emphasized election integrity and cautioned against broad accusations.
- Opposition figures supported the probe but criticized Netanyahu's alleged exploitation of the issue.
- Minister Ben-Gvir and Avigdor Lieberman called for interrogations of Arab party leaders.
Mansour Abbas, the president of the Ra'am party, on Thursday rejected accusations that his party was involved in an alleged attempt to influence Israeli elections through foreign funding. However, Abbas welcomed the decision by the president of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, to investigate these suspicions. "Ra'am welcomes the decision to investigate suspicions of an attempt at illegitimate influence on the elections through foreign funding," Abbas stated. He also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of conducting a campaign of incitement and delegitimization against Arab citizens, echoing Netanyahu's own frequent phrases by saying, "There will be nothing, because there is nothing." Abbas then pointed to alleged links between Netanyahu's advisors and Qatar, asserting, "Unlike you, with us, it is the truth."
The Shin Bet has launched an investigation at the request of Noam Sohlberg, who cited "serious suspicions" of undue influence via foreign funding from actors opposed to Israeli interests. According to the Jerusalem Post, the investigations are reportedly focusing on potential financial channels connected to Qatar and Turkey, though these leads are yet to be verified and do not currently demonstrate Ra'am's involvement.
President Isaac Herzog called for the elements and suspicions to be examined thoroughly, emphasizing that "the integrity of elections is a supreme democratic value." He cautioned against broad generalizations, stating, "We must avoid smearing an entire public that sought to exercise its right to vote and participate actively in democracy."
Opposition figures Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett supported the need for an investigation but also accused Netanyahu of exploiting the suspicions to undermine confidence in the vote. Eisenkot specifically warned against any attempts to delay the publication of results or the swearing-in of the new Knesset. Conversely, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded the arrest of leaders of Arab parties suspected of involvement, provided a legal basis exists. Avigdor Lieberman also called for the leaders of Arab parties to be interrogated by the Shin Bet.
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