Joint List Head Warns of Political Coup Attempts Using Shin Bet

Yousef Jabareen, head of the Joint List, has issued a warning against what he described as "political coup attempts against election results and the utilization of the Shin Bet for political purposes." He stated that the campaign led by Netanyahu and Ben Gvir, which portrays the Joint List as being against Arab voters and their elected representatives, resembles the practices of dictatorial and authoritarian regimes. Jabareen specifically cited Ben Gvir's calls for the arrest of Arab party leaders, bypassing the government's legal advisor, and freezing election results as explicit invitations to overthrow the democratic process and the will of the voters. He emphasized that these actions aim to delegitimize Arab representatives and progressive Jewish forces, infringing upon the rights of hundreds of thousands of citizens who exercised their democratic right to vote. Jabareen called for a unified stance against these attempts, especially given indications of the Shin Bet being employed for political objectives. He also referenced the Central Elections Committee chairman's confirmation of the election's integrity and the necessity of respecting its outcomes. Jabareen asserted that the votes of Arab citizens and progressive Jewish forces are as legitimate as any others, and that Netanyahu and Ben Gvir have no right to nullify results they dislike. The Joint List intends to use its parliamentary power, granted by voters, to protect the electoral will, thwart attempts to steal the election, end the Netanyahu-Ben Gvir-Smotrich government, and advance their rights and demands.