Shin Bet Chief Seeks Subpoenaed Probes of Arab Lawmakers

The head of the Shin Bet security agency, David Zini, has requested that a prominent Arab lawmaker and three other Arab political leaders be investigated under caution. The request targets Mansour Abbas, head of the United Arab List; Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the National Democratic Alliance Party; Ahmad Tibi, head of the Arab Movement for Change; and another unnamed prominent Knesset member from an Arab party, according to a report by i24NEWS. The report indicates a broad consensus among all parties that significant evidence exists against the unnamed lawmaker, who is expected to be investigated under caution. However, the Legal Advisor to the Government, Gali Baharav-Miara, has requested to review the evidence supporting the investigation requests for the other lawmakers before approving any interrogations. The report notes that this evidence has not yet been provided, meaning approval for their questioning has not been granted.

These developments follow a dispute between the Shin Bet chief and the government's legal advisor regarding the classification of an investigation into suspicions of influencing elections and funding from external entities. Zini advocated for classifying the matter as a "security file," which would allow for expanded security investigation methods, including preventing suspects from meeting their lawyers and enabling wiretapping and communication data collection. Conversely, the Legal Advisor argued that classifying the entire issue as a security matter without evidence of security violations would be illegal. She emphasized that security measures must be based on clear evidence, and suspicions of electoral bribery might fall within the criminal framework.

Reports also indicated that a joint investigation team between the Shin Bet and the police has not yet commenced its work, despite an agreement to form it, due to the Shin Bet's failure to transfer the necessary materials to the police. The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, previously stated in a release that the suspicions are under examination and may have a security dimension, stressing that suspicions do not equate to proven violations and that challenging election results requires solid evidence.