Netanyahu's Office Accused of Election Interference Plot

A political storm erupted in Israel following a report alleging that Prime Minister Netanyahu's office orchestrated a covert operation before the elections. The operation reportedly involved planting intelligence within the police targeting Arab citizens. Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, vehemently condemned the alleged actions, stating that Netanyahu's conduct poses a "tangible, direct, and immediate threat to Israeli democracy." He argued that as long as Netanyahu remains in office, fair elections cannot be guaranteed and that this consideration guides his coalition negotiations.

Eisenkot further claimed that this incident, following the "Qatargate" affair, represents a more severe attempt to disrupt elections by allegedly planting evidence and using the police against Arab citizens without proper warrants. He called for an immediate investigation and clarification from the police and Shin Bet, vowing to push for a parliamentary inquiry into the Prime Minister's office's involvement in election day activities and security agencies' conduct.

Other political figures joined the criticism. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats, accused Netanyahu's office of crossing another red line by allegedly planting intelligence in police systems to leverage security and law enforcement for a political campaign and election theft. He emphasized that the Shin Bet and police are not Netanyahu's operational arm and demanded an independent investigation.

Yair Lapid, number two in the Together party, stated that there was indeed an attempt to steal the elections, orchestrated by the Likud from Netanyahu's office. Yosef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, described the revelations as a potential attempted governmental coup, involving the criminal use of the police against the Arab public and its leaders, and called for an immediate investigation by the Attorney General.

Members of Knesset Noam Tibon and Yoav Segalovitz also voiced strong condemnation. Tibon called for advancing parliamentary proceedings and forming a new government quickly, while Segalovitz highlighted the severity of using law enforcement powers to influence election results, calling it a grave blow to democratic foundations. Naama Lazimi of the Democrats urged for Netanyahu's investigation rather than unity talks.

Amit Becher, chairman of the Israel Bar Association, formally requested the Attorney General to launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the Prime Minister's office, citing strong suspicion of election interference originating from within the office. The Movement for Quality of Government also called for an immediate criminal investigation into the allegations, including the alleged attempt by the head of the Shin Bet to conduct surveillance on Arab Knesset members without sufficient evidence, stressing that security and law enforcement agencies must not be used as tools against political opponents.