Israel Police Chief Orders Officers to Halt Shin Bet Election Probe Assistance
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Israel Police Investigations Chief Boaz Balt has ordered officers to halt all assistance to the Shin Bet on election-related matters without his explicit approval. The directive follows recent disputes between the police and the Shin Bet over an investigation into alleged foreign interference in Israeli elections. The Shin Bet had presented intelligence suggesting significant foreign funding aimed at influencing the vote, but law enforcement officials questioned the evidentiary basis for expanding the probe. The new order could potentially delay the joint investigation, which only recently began receiving materials from the Shin Bet.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Police Investigations Chief Boaz Balt ordered officers to stop assisting the Shin Bet on election probes without his approval.
- The directive follows recent disputes between the police and the Shin Bet over an election interference investigation.
- Shin Bet intelligence suggested foreign funding aimed at influencing Israeli elections.
- Law enforcement officials questioned the evidentiary basis for expanding the Shin Bet's investigation.
- The new order could potentially delay the joint investigation into alleged foreign interference.
The Commander of the Police Investigations and Intelligence Directorate, Major General Boaz Balt, issued an order Friday for officers not to provide any assistance to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) regarding election-related matters without his prior approval. This directive comes just one day after the Shin Bet began transferring investigation materials to the police as part of a joint task force established to address conflicts between the two agencies.
The directive states that any request for assistance from the Shin Bet concerning elections, such as help with camera operations or investigations, must be routed through Balt's office and will not be acted upon without his explicit permission. This could potentially delay investigative actions, although no specific requests have been reported as rejected due to this new order yet.
The decision escalates a series of disputes between the police and the Shin Bet over the management of the investigation. Law enforcement officials recently accused the Shin Bet of delaying the transfer of evidence, while the Shin Bet cited legal counsel restrictions preventing a full examination. During a heated confrontation between Shin Bet chief David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Balt reportedly warned that "with incorrect conduct, it is precisely the Shin Bet that will harm democracy."
Zini, who sought to investigate senior figures in Arab parties, questioned the police's role in a security-related investigation. The dispute intensified after the Shin Bet presented intelligence suggesting large sums of money were allegedly funneled by foreign and hostile entities to influence Israeli elections. The Shin Bet estimated this phenomenon could involve thousands of people and pushed for expanded investigative actions.
Conversely, law enforcement officials argued that the presented materials did not yet establish reasonable suspicion against senior figures in Arab parties and that investigations should not be approved without adequate evidentiary grounds. The police began receiving information collected by the Shin Bet on Thursday, following days of disagreement over its transfer. The new order now requires Shin Bet personnel to obtain Balt's approval for any assistance they request from the police, even as the joint investigation starts to progress.
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