Israeli Election Committee Head Allows Likud Access to Arab Voting Materials Amid Foreign Interference Probe

The President of Israel's Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, partially granted the Likud party's request to review voting materials from approximately 190 ballot boxes in Arab towns. This decision is in preparation for a potential election appeal by the Likud, which claims that certain entities in Arab communities shared voter turnout data to encourage voting, thereby increasing turnout in these specific boxes. Sohlberg limited the access to materials that could help Likud substantiate its claims, noting that some requested documents are already available to the party. The approved materials include scanned copies of voter turnout forms, ballot box committee notes, and voter lists. However, Sohlberg denied the Likud's request for video recordings from election monitors, citing judicial rulings that restrict their access to law enforcement and prosecution.

In parallel, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) maintains it possesses additional information regarding alleged foreign interference in the elections, which has not yet been fully disclosed. This comes as the police have expressed skepticism about the possibility of turning the foreign interference investigation into a criminal or security case, based on current data. A joint investigation team, formed by Sohlberg and including representatives from the police, Shin Bet, and the State Prosecutor's Office, met to discuss the case.

The investigation, initiated by Likud complaints about suspected foreign funding aimed at influencing election results, also reportedly examined allegations concerning Ayman Odeh, former chairman of the Joint List, receiving funds from a foreign source. While the police questioned the strength of evidence regarding the source and use of these funds, considering any potential violations to be of low severity, the Shin Bet insists on the existence of further financial transfer information. The Shin Bet's head, David Zini, also reportedly sought to investigate three other Arab party leaders: Ahmed Tibi, Mansour Abbas, and Sami Abu Shehadeh.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog had previously called for a thorough investigation into any such suspicions. The separate proceedings continue as Likud seeks evidence for its appeal and the police and Shin Bet assess the evidence in their parallel investigation, with no manipulation of the vote results yet proven.