"איום מוחשי על הדמוקרטיה הישראלית": סערה בעקבות חשיפת עובדה על המבצע של לשכת נתניהו ערב הבחירות

A political storm erupted Sunday evening following a Channel 12 report alleging that the Prime Minister's Office under Benjamin Netanyahu conducted an operation on the eve of the elections, aimed at planting intelligence against Arab citizens within the police force. Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, strongly condemned the alleged actions, stating that Netanyahu's conduct poses a "tangible, direct, and immediate threat to Israeli democracy." Eisenkot argued that as long as Netanyahu remains in office, fair elections cannot be guaranteed, and this is a central consideration in his coalition negotiations.

Eisenkot further claimed that this alleged election interference, which he described as worse than the "Qatargate" affair, involved an attempt to manipulate elections by planting evidence and using the police against Arab citizens without proper warrants. He called for an immediate investigation and the establishment of a Knesset inquiry committee.

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic party, echoed these sentiments, calling the report proof that Netanyahu's office crossed another red line by allegedly using security and law enforcement agencies for a political campaign and election theft. He emphasized that the Shin Bet and the police are not Netanyahu's operational arm and demanded an independent investigation.

Yousef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, accused Netanyahu of attempting a "governmental coup" by criminally using the police against the Arab public and its leaders, including alleged demands to surveil Arab Knesset members. He characterized the behavior as typical of "dark regimes" and urged the Attorney General to launch an immediate investigation.

Other MKs, including Noam Tibon and Naama Lazimi, also criticized the alleged actions, calling for Netanyahu to be removed from power and investigated. The Movement for Quality of Government in Israel also responded, calling for an immediate criminal investigation into the allegations of using law enforcement and security bodies for political purposes and demanding that the Attorney General order a comprehensive probe into the matter.