Israel's Attorney General: No Evidence to Change Election Results

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated on Sunday that she has not seen evidence that would alter the results of the recent elections. Speaking at an event for the Justice Ministry in Eilat, she addressed the ongoing investigation into suspicions of foreign funding aimed at influencing the elections. Baharav-Miara indicated that the initial evidence presented pertains only to isolated incidents. "As of now, I am not aware of any evidence that comes close to affecting the election outcome or substantiating a claim of influence that could lead to a change in the election results," she said. However, she affirmed that substantiated suspicions would not be avoided, stating, "If additional, new information is presented to us that has not yet been presented, it will be examined and handled according to the law." She also noted that significant investigative actions have been approved, including the formation of a joint investigation team by the Shin Bet and the police, with the State Prosecutor's Office providing guidance. These remarks follow disputes over demands to investigate senior figures in Arab parties, where the Attorney General had insisted on sufficient evidence before initiating probes. Baharav-Miara emphasized that investigations would proceed based on evidence, irrespective of political or ethnic considerations. She mentioned that the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, is being kept informed of the developments.

In a separate part of her speech, Baharav-Miara criticized legislation concerning the Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash), arguing it could undermine the independence of law enforcement. She described the Mahash law as a "poison capsule" that could politicize the system and allow political pressure on investigations involving police officers, prosecutors, and journalists, including those related to government corruption. She vowed to continue fighting this legislation alongside the State Prosecutor.