Netanyahu Aide Suspected of Orchestrating Arrests of Arab Activists on Election Day

An investigation by journalist Ilana Dayan, aired on Channel 12, suggests that members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's circle may have provided fabricated intelligence to the police to orchestrate the arrest of Arab party Ra'am activists on election day, October 27. Authorities are now investigating whether this action was a genuine intelligence operation or a maneuver to influence the vote. Ido Norden, the acting chief of staff to the Prime Minister, is under suspicion. The day before the election, Norden allegedly contacted senior police officials about suspected electoral fraud involving Ra'am activists in southern Israel. He reportedly directed investigators to a former employee of the Prime Minister's office, who was presented as a source with compromising information. According to Channel 12, a police intelligence official incorporated these accusations into police systems, which then contributed to an operation launched hours later. Early on election morning, around 4 a.m., police raided the home of Dr. Sayaf Abu Riash in Rahat, in the Negev, arresting him and two other Ra'am activists. They were suspected of distributing money to influence voters. The searches were reportedly conducted without a valid judicial warrant. Netanyahu had publicly commented on these arrests at the time, as his Likud party had raised concerns about electoral fraud within the Arab community. Investigations since the election have reportedly failed to substantiate the initial accusations against the three activists, with law enforcement officials deeming the evidence insufficient for prosecution. The current investigation is examining the origin and transmission of the intelligence that led to the arrests, including the possibility that false information was deliberately fed into the police system for a dramatic pre-election intervention. Investigators are also looking into whether police officials were manipulated or were aware of the intelligence's true source. The potential coordination of the public announcement of the arrests is also being scrutinized. Israel Democracy Watch had previously called for a criminal investigation into officials in the Prime Minister's office, including Norden, in early November. Netanyahu's office has denied involvement. Separately, Dayan's investigation touched upon the Shin Bet's role in suspected foreign interference in the elections. David Zini, director of the internal security service, reportedly sought authorization on election day to question five Arab Knesset members regarding possible foreign intervention, a request rejected by legal authorities. Subsequent checks reportedly found no concrete evidence of foreign interference concerning these lawmakers. The article clarifies that this Shin Bet matter is distinct from the Ra'am activist arrests, with no operational link established between them. Zini is quoted as stating he had years of information on alleged electoral fraud in the Arab community but criticized his predecessors for not acting on it. A senior law enforcement official expressed concern that such practices, whether intentional or deceptive, could undermine confidence in the electoral system, warning that "If the Shin Bet and the police act in this way, whether consciously or by ruse, we will not be able to guarantee that the next elections will be fair." These revelations emerge amid ongoing government formation talks, raising questions about the potential misuse of law enforcement institutions for political purposes during an election. The suspicions of deliberately fabricated intelligence and manipulated arrests have not yet been judicially proven, and the investigations aim to determine accountability.