Police Chief Orders No Information Transfer to Shin Bet Without Approval

Tensions between the Israeli Police and the Shin Bet security agency have escalated over an investigation into suspected election interference. Boaz Balt, the Police's Head of the Investigations Department, issued a directive instructing his staff not to share any information with the Shin Bet regarding the case without his explicit approval. Balt stated in a letter to his employees that any requests for assistance from the Shin Bet concerning the elections, such as help with camera removals or investigations, must be directed to him first.

This directive follows a recent clash between the Shin Bet chief and the Attorney General over the scope of the investigation. A joint police-Shin Bet investigation team was formed just yesterday as a compromise between Shin Bet chief David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The team's first meeting focused on technical aspects, including defining work methods, dividing responsibilities, and ensuring cooperation to advance the investigations.

In the coming days, the joint team is expected to review intelligence gathered so far, map out findings, and prioritize investigative directions. The Shin Bet had initially sought broader investigative powers, including interrogations, arrests, and wiretaps, but the Attorney General conditioned these actions on the establishment of a joint team with the police.

Despite the ongoing tensions, there is a broad consensus among the Chairman of the Election Committee, Noam Sohlberg, the Attorney General, and the Shin Bet chief that the investigated actions did not influence the election results. However, Shin Bet chief Zini reportedly compared the suspected foreign interference in the elections to the failures leading up to the October 7th attacks, calling it a "strategic attack of the greatest magnitude in the country's history."