Netanyahu's Office Suspected of Involvement in Arrests of Arab Activists on Election Day
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
An investigative report by Ilana Dayan on "Uvda" alleges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office was involved in the arrest of Arab activists on election day. The report claims that the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff contacted the police with information about suspicious activity, leading to the arrest of three activists, one of whom was detained for six days and prevented from voting. Netanyahu reportedly used the incident in his campaign. The Shin Bet head also allegedly sought to monitor Arab lawmakers. The Prime Minister's Office denied the allegations, while opposition figures called for immediate investigations.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu's office is suspected of involvement in the arrest of Arab activists on election day.
- The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff allegedly provided information leading to the arrests.
- One arrested activist was detained for six days and prevented from voting.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly used the incident in his election campaign.
- Shin Bet head allegedly sought to monitor Arab lawmakers, but was blocked by the Attorney General.
- Opposition leaders have called for an immediate investigation into the affair.
An investigative report by Ilana Dayan on the program "Uvda" has raised suspicions that the campaign slogan "Arabs are stealing the elections," which circulated before last month's elections, involved not only political exploitation of election day events but also the complicity of individuals within the Prime Minister's Office, the police, and the Shin Bet.
The chain of events reportedly began the evening before the elections when Ido Norman, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, contacted the Police Commissioner's office to complain about suspicious activity by Ra'am party activists in the south. Norman allegedly directed the police to an informant, a former Prime Minister's Office employee, who provided allegedly incriminating information on three activists. This information was entered into police intelligence systems.
Following this, 14 police officers raided the homes of the three activists without search warrants or arrest warrants at the time. One of those arrested, Dr. Saif Abu Riash, a doctor from Rahat, was held for six days before being released. The suspicions against him were reportedly found to be exaggerated, and nothing was found in his home. He was also prevented from voting on election day. Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly used the incident on election day, incorporating it into his campaign narrative that Arab citizens were attempting to steal the elections, despite his office allegedly being involved in its creation.
The report also touched upon the involvement of Shin Bet head David Zinai, who reportedly requested to monitor five Arab Knesset members as part of an investigation into alleged foreign interference in the elections. The Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, blocked this request. Two days after the election, Zinai allegedly told Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the National Unity party, that the Shin Bet had information since 2018 about Arabs "stealing" elections and that his predecessors had ignored it. However, the investigation reportedly found no substantial evidence of foreign interference that compromised the integrity of the elections.
The Shin Bet stated it acted within its authority and according to the Election Committee chairman's instructions, declining to comment on investigation details. The police referred to a confidential intelligence report presented to the court. The Prime Minister's Office denied the report's claims, calling it "another false article" and stating that Norman acted as any law-abiding citizen would by reporting suspicious information to the police. They asserted that any further involvement attributed to Norman is false and defamatory. Gadi Eisenkot strongly criticized Netanyahu's conduct as a threat to Israeli democracy, calling for an immediate investigation into the affair and the establishment of a commission of inquiry. MK Yosef Jabareen accused Netanyahu of a "governmental coup attempt" and called for an immediate investigation. Yair Golan and Yair Lapid also condemned the alleged actions as an attempt to undermine democracy and steal the elections. Ahmad Tibi called for an immediate criminal investigation against Netanyahu and his staff.
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