Ex-Shin Bet Official Questions Election Bribery Allegations
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Former senior Shin Bet official Amit Asa is questioning the alleged election bribery scheme, focusing on who built the infrastructure for vote-buying and the potential involvement of hostile entities. He stated that prevention is more crucial than post-event investigations and clarified that the Shin Bet chief's election day comments were limited to polling station operations. Asa also voiced concern over reported internal Shin Bet disputes regarding the case.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former Shin Bet official Amit Asa is investigating the infrastructure behind alleged election bribery.
- Asa warned that enemy states or terror groups could be funding the bribery scheme.
- He stressed that preventing election interference is more important than investigating after the fact.
- Asa clarified the Shin Bet chief's election day comments were about polling station operations, not bribery.
- He expressed concern over reported internal disputes within the Shin Bet regarding the case.
A former senior Shin Bet official, Amit Asa, has raised critical questions regarding the alleged bribery scheme during recent elections, emphasizing the need to investigate the infrastructure behind the operation rather than just the individuals who received money. Speaking on 103fm radio, Asa stated that his primary concern is identifying who built the system to distribute funds to voters, how it was constructed, the source of the money, and who had the "interest from above" to influence the election. He warned that such activities, if funded by enemy states or terror organizations, pose a clear and immediate security threat aimed at destabilizing the Israeli government.
Addressing the performance of security agencies, Asa argued that the true test lies in preventing such incidents beforehand, stating that "prevention is more important than an investigation after the fact." He suggested that if intelligence existed about irregularities, the operation should have been stopped before it occurred, likening the current situation to a stone thrown into a pool that cannot be retrieved.
Asa also clarified remarks made by the Shin Bet chief on election day, explaining that the chief was specifically referring to the operational conduct of polling stations, such as violence or physical issues, and not to the election bribery allegations, which emerged two days later. He urged separating the Shin Bet chief's statement from the bribery investigation.
Expressing concern over reported internal disputes within the Shin Bet regarding the handling of the bribery case, Asa stressed the importance of hierarchical decision-making. He noted that while disagreements are natural within the organization, ultimately, all members must align with the Shin Bet chief's final decision.
