Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas: We Fear No Investigations
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Ra'am party chairman Mansour Abbas stated he and other Arab Knesset members are not afraid of investigations into alleged foreign interference in elections. He affirmed readiness to cooperate with authorities but urged respect for voters' decisions. Government's legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara called reports of impending interrogations "unreliable" and demanded evidence before any action is taken, also noting Shin Bet's delay in submitting case materials.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas stated he and other Arab lawmakers fear no investigations into election interference.
- Abbas affirmed readiness to cooperate with authorities but urged respect for voters' decisions.
- Shin Bet head David Zini reportedly sought to question four Arab Knesset members.
- Government's legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara called the reports "unreliable" and demanded evidence.
- Baharav-Miara accused Shin Bet of delaying the submission of investigation materials.
Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, has responded to reports that Shin Bet head David Zini intends to question him and other Arab Knesset members over alleged foreign interference in parliamentary elections. Abbas stated he would appear for questioning if required, but urged authorities to respect election results. "Neither I nor other Ra'am members fear any investigations," Abbas asserted. "We are ready to appear before any law enforcement agencies according to the instructions of the government's legal advisor and the judicial system, which have repeatedly proven that they obey the law, not other political forces."
Abbas also condemned "attempts to tarnish Arab society" and called on state bodies to "respect the voters' decision, act responsibly and in accordance with state interests towards all citizens, and also adhere to the law and the established order of state governance."
Reports emerged Tuesday evening that Zini was demanding the questioning of four Knesset members, including Abbas, Ahmad Tibi (Ta'al), Sami Abu Shehadeh (Balad), and another unnamed lawmaker, with warnings of accountability for false testimony. However, Government's legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara issued a clarification calling these reports "unreliable."
Baharav-Miara stated that "in a law-abiding state, an investigation cannot be conducted against citizens or elected officials without evidence providing grounds for it." She added, "If Shin Bet or any other body has evidence justifying the need for an investigation, it is invited to present it." She insisted that "all those who need to be investigated will be questioned, but investigations against people without a basis of evidence will not be conducted." Furthermore, Baharav-Miara noted that Shin Bet had not transferred its collected investigation materials to a special investigative team for two days, effectively delaying the case's review.
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