Israeli Security Agencies Launch Joint Probe Into Foreign Election Interference

By איתי גיל לב

Translated & summarized from Davar by baba

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Hebrew · 2 newsrooms covering

Israel's Shin Bet, police, and prosecution have formed a joint team to investigate suspected foreign interference in the recent Knesset elections. The Shin Bet will lead the probe, which began with a meeting Thursday to establish cooperation. While the investigation is ongoing and in its early stages, the election results are not currently considered compromised.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Shin Bet, police, and prosecution launched a joint investigation into foreign election interference.
The Shin Bet will lead the joint investigation team, with initial meetings focusing on cooperation.
The investigation was ordered by Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg.
Evidence presented so far does not undermine the overall election results, according to Sohlberg.
President Isaac Herzog called for a thorough investigation into the suspicions.

Israeli Security Agencies Launch Joint Probe Into Foreign Election Interference — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Representatives from the Shin Bet, Israel Police, and the State Prosecutor's Office convened for the first time on Thursday to investigate suspicions of foreign interference in the 26th Knesset elections. The Shin Bet is expected to lead the joint investigation team, with the initial meeting focusing on cooperation protocols and the transfer of investigation materials to the police.

The investigation team was officially established on Sunday by the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, who made the announcement alongside Shin Bet head David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Sohlberg stated that the probe is still in its preliminary stages and that the evidence presented thus far does not cast doubt on the overall election results.

Last week, Sohlberg instructed Zini to investigate allegations of foreign funding and election bribery aimed at influencing the elections. He requested preliminary findings within a week due to the tight timeline for appealing election results. The official results of the 26th Knesset elections were submitted to President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday.

During the handover of the results, President Herzog urged the Shin Bet and police to thoroughly investigate the suspicions, noting he had spoken with Zini and Baharav-Miara that morning. The formation of the joint team comes amid reported disagreements between the Shin Bet and law enforcement regarding the investigation's management and material sharing. The meeting concluded with an agreement for continued joint work, overseen by the State Prosecutor's Office.