Israel Police Chief Orders Officers Not to Aid Shin Bet in Election Probe Without Approval

The Commander of the Israel Police Investigations Division, Boaz Balt, issued an unusual directive to officers, forbidding them from transferring any information related to the election investigation to the Shin Bet security agency without his explicit approval. This order also covers other requests for assistance in the probe, even though the police are expected to act as the Shin Bet's operational arm in certain aspects of the investigation. Balt instructed officers to redirect any Shin Bet requests concerning the elections, such as help with cameras or interrogations, directly to him for authorization.

The investigation centers on suspicions that foreign entities, including Qatar, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority, funneled large sums of money to individuals within the Joint List party to influence the elections. The Shin Bet recently began transferring materials related to Arab polling stations to the police, after initially withholding information. The agency's conduct has drawn criticism, including from its head, David Zini, who reportedly sought to classify the case as a national security matter to allow for the summoning of Arab party leaders for questioning without presenting evidence.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara clarified that in a state of law, individuals or public officials cannot be investigated without sufficient evidence. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Ayman Odeh, who is expected to leave his position soon, is being investigated for allegedly receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels from the Palestinian Authority, though police have stated they have not yet received intelligence linking him to the matter. The Attorney General has not yet authorized such an investigation against him.

Officials from the Shin Bet, Israel Police, and the State Prosecutor's Office met to discuss the allegations of foreign interference in the elections. The discussion focused on suspicions that significant funds transferred to boost votes in the Arab sector may have been channeled through routes previously used for terror financing. An agreement was reached on a joint work plan, with the Shin Bet chief committing to adhere to the Attorney General's guidelines and expedite the transfer of necessary investigation materials.

Additionally, the "Choosing Life" forum for bereaved families and terror victims filed a complaint with the Shin Bet head regarding an application called "Aswatcom." This app allegedly enabled Ra'am party activists to manage voting operations and monitor voters in real-time, raising concerns about violations of the law and a Supreme Court ruling. The forum claims the app's development involved individuals from Ramallah with ties to the Palestinian Authority.