Zehut Party Leader Demands Election Results Freeze Amid 'Ra'amGate' Probe

Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the Zehut party, has sent an urgent letter to Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the Central Elections Committee, demanding an immediate freeze on the ratification of the 26th Knesset election results. Feiglin's request comes amid the ongoing investigation into the "Ra'amGate" affair, which involves suspicions of vote-buying within the Arab community and potential foreign interference in the democratic process. He argues that the election results should not be finalized while the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) conducts its investigation into the matter.

Feiglin stated that if the investigation proves the results were compromised, they should be invalidated entirely, leading to new snap elections. He presented evidence of alleged threats against election purity monitors and poll station workers, suggesting a severe threat to national sovereignty rather than isolated incidents. Feiglin also questioned a directive from the committee's director-general during election day, which he claims was used to bypass rigorous identification checks at polling stations.

The Shin Bet confirmed that Justice Sohlberg was the only individual outside the agency who was aware of the affair prior to its public emergence. While the elections committee initially stated there was no basis for systematic damage to election integrity, they acknowledged that sensitive materials requiring deep examination were presented to Sohlberg. The Shin Bet clarified that the information originated from its independent intelligence gathering, and all findings will be submitted to the Elections Committee chairman for his decision.

The "Ra'amGate" investigation has led to the arrest of seven suspects in the Negev region. Justice Sohlberg has formally requested the head of the Shin Bet to deepen the investigation based on classified intelligence.