Israel's Attorney General Rebukes Shin Bet Chief Over Election Probe

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara issued a rare public statement Tuesday, asserting that Israeli law prohibits investigating citizens or public officials without evidence. This declaration came in response to reports that Shin Bet chief David Zini intended to classify an election investigation as a "security offense" and summon leaders of Arab parties for questioning without sufficient proof. Baharav-Miara stated that any evidence justifying an investigation should be presented, and that investigations will only proceed with a factual basis. She also noted that the Shin Bet has not transferred collected investigation materials to a special investigative team for two days, hindering progress.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Election Committee, Noam Sohlberg, confirmed that election results would be published as scheduled on Wednesday, regardless of the ongoing investigation. Representatives from the Likud party at the Election Committee intend to abstain from voting on the results, with "Religious Zionism" expected to follow suit, while "Otzma Yehudit" announced its opposition. A senior law enforcement official expressed deep concern over the escalating crisis and the trust deficit between top officials, warning of "signs of a governmental coup."

Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas stated he is prepared to be investigated, calling attempts to tarnish the Arab public "unacceptable" and emphasizing his readiness to cooperate with law enforcement within legal guidelines. The Joint List accused Zini of acting as a political operative for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attempting to delegitimize the Arab vote. Opposition leader Yair Lapid echoed these sentiments, calling Zini a "plant" and accusing the government of trying to steal the election and undermine democracy.

The Likud party, however, criticized the Attorney General, accusing her of attempting to conceal the truth and obstruct the investigation into alleged election contamination by foreign elements. They claimed she was preventing the Shin Bet from utilizing its full investigative capabilities, contrary to Sohlberg's support for a thorough inquiry. Earlier reports revealed a heated dispute between Zini and Baharav-Miara, with Zini seeking to broadly classify the probe as a security matter to employ expanded intelligence tools, a request the Attorney General deemed illegal without evidence of security offenses.