Israeli PM's Office, Police, Shin Bet Probed Over Election Day Arrests

An investigative report by Ilana Dayan on "Uvda" has raised serious questions regarding the conduct of the Prime Minister's Office, the police, and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) surrounding the arrest of three Ra'am party activists on election day. The investigation is examining suspicions that intelligence information leading to the arrests was passed to the police by an individual formerly employed by the Prime Minister's Office and close to its former director-general, Yossi Shali.

Businessman Roni Manoach, a former associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reacted strongly, stating on X, "When I said Bibi and the office are a crime organization, this is what I meant." He urged the "change bloc" leaders to immediately suspend negotiations with Netanyahu and form a government quickly. Manoach also relayed a conversation with Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, who reportedly warned that new elections would lead to a repeat of the events exposed in Dayan's report, emphasizing the need to avoid going to the polls again.

The Prime Minister's Office vehemently denied the report's claims, calling it "false wrapped in dramatic music." According to the investigation, the events began the evening before the election when Ido Norden, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister's Office, contacted the Police Commissioner's office with a complaint about Ra'am activists in the south. Norden allegedly directed police officers to an intelligence source who had recently worked in the Prime Minister's Office and was close to Yossi Shali.

Early on election day, approximately 14 officers raided the homes of three Ra'am activists, including Dr. Seif Abu Riash, a doctor from Rahat. The report claims officers did not present a search warrant upon arrival at Abu Riash's home around 4:00 AM. The police announced that cash, envelopes, and Ra'am voting slips were found at the suspects' homes. The report was amplified by Netanyahu and the Likud party during election day, fueling claims of an attempt to influence the vote. However, the subsequent investigation yielded no concrete evidence of payments for votes, and all suspects were released. Dr. Abu Riash was released after six days, and the last suspect was released unconditionally.

A judge at the Beersheba Magistrate's Court criticized the investigation's progress and the lack of a compelling evidentiary basis against the suspects. Consequently, the Attorney General's office and the police's investigation department are examining suspicions that the intelligence information was fabricated to bolster the complaint from the Prime Minister's Office and support a political campaign alleging election theft. The probe also questions the police's involvement beyond making arrests, including potential planning and public dissemination of information.

Additionally, the report revealed that on election day, Shin Bet head David Zini requested authorization to wiretap five Arab Knesset members and arrest them, citing suspicions of foreign influence. These requests were denied by the Attorney General's office due to a lack of substantial evidence. Two days after the election, Zini met with Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, presenting a binder of information collected since 2018 regarding alleged election theft by elements within the Arab community. Zini stated that previous Shin Bet heads had ignored this information and he decided to investigate it. The Shin Bet responded that it investigated serious suspicions of subversive activity and foreign influence in election contexts, as per the directive of the Central Elections Committee chairman, Judge Noam Sohlberg, and its legal authorities. They added that publications concerning investigation targets or methods are not from the organization.