Israeli Election Probe Suggests Security Services Used for Political Campaign

A new Israeli Channel 12 investigation suggests that intelligence information was used to arrest three activists from the United Arab List in the Negev on election day, potentially to cast doubt on Arab voter turnout and election results. The report, aired on the program "Ovda," indicates that the information may have reached the police through a former employee of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, following a call from Netanyahu's chief of staff, Eido Norden, to police leadership on the eve of the elections.

The investigation claims the initiative originated not from the police or security services independently, but from the Prime Minister's office. The report alleges that Norden contacted the Police Commissioner's office regarding the activists, directing officers to an intelligence source reportedly holding information against them. This source, according to the report, was a former government employee, and the intelligence was entered into police systems the night before the election, leading to arrests and raids on election morning.

Three activists were arrested on suspicion of vote-buying and distributing funds to influence the election. However, subsequent developments raised questions, with one detainee reportedly released unconditionally and court requests for extended detention not fully granted. Public evidence of an organized vote-buying operation has not emerged. The timing of the arrests on election day itself is highlighted as particularly sensitive, potentially serving as a tool to shape public opinion, especially concerning a specific demographic's vote.

Netanyahu reportedly exploited the issue in his election speeches, framing it as an attempt to "steal the election" and linking it to increased Arab voting. Israeli reports suggest Netanyahu and his allies used the incident to promote a narrative of fraud or manipulation by the Arab community. However, the Central Elections Committee later dismissed claims of widespread fraud, with its acting director general stating that ongoing investigations did not affect the final results or target any specific population segment. Committee Chairman Judge Noam Solberg also noted that information regarding foreign interference had not yielded evidence of violations.

Further complicating the matter, Shin Bet head David Zini reportedly requested investigations into Arab political figures concerning foreign interference. This move reportedly led to a confrontation with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who required sufficient evidence before initiating such actions. The police, after examining intelligence materials from the Shin Bet, concluded that they did not substantiate suspicions of election financing or security violations, with a police source quoted as saying there was no "drama" regarding foreign influence. The article questions how security agencies could present a grave picture of foreign interference that the police, upon reviewing the same materials, found no basis for.

The author argues that if the investigation's claims are true, it points to a dangerous potential misuse of intelligence, arrest timing, and media coverage for political gain on election day. The piece calls for a neutral, independent investigative committee, rather than internal reviews, to examine the full sequence of events, including the origin of information, its transfer, the source's ties to the Prime Minister's office, the rationale for election day arrests, and the subsequent use of the issue in political discourse. The article concludes that democracy is protected by revealing the truth, not by slogans or intimidation, and that those responsible for manipulating state agencies for political campaigns must be held accountable.