Police Doubt Severity of Alleged Foreign Interference in Israeli Elections
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Israeli police are questioning the Shin Bet's classification of alleged foreign election interference as a severe national security threat. A joint investigative team has been formed, but police claim crucial evidence, including any link to Qatar, was not presented. Shin Bet Director David Zini insists it's a security offense, while police officials, led by Boaz Balt, see no such offense in the provided intelligence. Tensions have escalated, with police forbidding information sharing with the Shin Bet without direct approval.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Police doubt the severity of alleged foreign interference in Israeli elections, calling the Shin Bet's assessment puzzling.
- A trilateral meeting formed a joint investigative team, but police claim key evidence was withheld.
- Shin Bet Director David Zini insists the case is a national security offense, clashing with police views.
- Police head of investigations Boaz Balt has forbidden sharing election-related information with the Shin Bet.
- Sources suggest the Shin Bet director may be politically motivated in his handling of the case.
Israeli police are expressing skepticism regarding the severity of alleged foreign interference in the country's elections, questioning the Shin Bet's assessment of the matter as a serious national security issue. Sources within law enforcement told Channel 12 News that "there seems to be no security offense here, the handling of this case is puzzling." A senior law enforcement official stated that "everything here worked in reverse," noting that police and prosecution were the last to be informed about the case. A joint investigative team was formed after a trilateral meeting at Shin Bet headquarters involving representatives from the Shin Bet, police, and the State Prosecutor's Office. However, the "smoking gun" evidence supporting the Shin Bet's grave suspicions was not presented to the joint team. Police insisted on receiving intelligence materials from the Shin Bet, which were reportedly only provided late at night after repeated requests. The official also pointed out that despite widespread discussion of funds flowing from Qatar, the presented materials contained no mention or connection to Qatar. There is a significant clash between the perspective of Shin Bet Director David Zini, who is adamant about a security offense, and the police's view, particularly that of Boaz Balt, head of the Investigations and Intelligence Department, who does not see a security offense in the intelligence materials presented. A source within the Shin Bet suggested that Zini was appointed to "serve his masters" and attempted to manipulate the opinion to prevent Netanyahu's testimony in court, and this is now "round two." In a further escalation of tensions between the agencies, Balt instructed his staff not to share any information with the Shin Bet regarding election-related matters without his explicit approval, directing all such requests to be routed through him.
