Report Alleges Netanyahu's Office Orchestrated Election Day Arrests
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
An Israeli news report alleges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office orchestrated the arrest of Ra'am party activists on election day by providing intelligence information. The arrests, which occurred without search warrants, were amplified by Netanyahu's campaign, despite later findings proving the suspicions exaggerated. In a separate incident, Shin Bet head David Zini reportedly sought to wiretap Arab lawmakers, citing election interference concerns, but was blocked by the Attorney General.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu's office allegedly provided intelligence leading to election day arrests of Ra'am activists.
- The intelligence was reportedly supplied by a former employee of the Prime Minister's Office.
- Arrests occurred without search warrants, and suspicions were later found to be exaggerated.
- Shin Bet head David Zini reportedly sought to wiretap Arab lawmakers over election interference concerns.
- The Attorney General's office reportedly blocked Zini's request to wiretap the lawmakers.
An investigation by "Uvda" reveals allegations that the Prime Minister's Office, under Benjamin Netanyahu, may have played a role in orchestrating the arrest of Ra'am party activists on election day. The report claims that Ido Norden, Netanyahu's chief of staff, contacted the police commissioner's office with a complaint about Ra'am activists in the South. Subsequently, intelligence information, allegedly provided by a former employee of the Prime Minister's Office close to ex-Director General Yossi Shai, was fed into police systems.
This information reportedly led to the arrest of three Ra'am activists without search warrants on election day. The police quickly publicized suspicions of large sums of money and Ra'am ballots intended to incentivize voting, claims that later proved to be exaggerated. Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly amplified these reports throughout election day, leveraging an event that his office may have helped initiate. The revelations have raised concerns within the Attorney General's office and the police's investigations department, which are reportedly examining the alleged planting of information to bolster the complaint originating from the Prime Minister's office.
In parallel, Shin Bet head David Zini reportedly requested authorization to wiretap five Arab Knesset members on election day, citing suspicions of foreign interference. This request was reportedly rebuffed by the Attorney General's office. Zini is quoted as saying that "Arabs are stealing elections in Israel" since 2018, a claim he felt compelled to address, alarming senior officials in the Shin Bet and law enforcement.
The arrested doctor, Siaf Abu Riash, was released after six days. His lawyer questioned the police investigator about the political origins of the investigation, to which the investigator reportedly did not deny, stating the answer was in a confidential court document. The police's actions, including searching Abu Riash's home without a warrant and detaining him, prevented him from voting on election day. The Shin Bet stated that it is investigating suspicions of foreign interference in elections as per its mandate and the directive of the Central Elections Committee chairman, adding that publications about investigation targets or tools are not from the Shin Bet.
Mentioned
