תחקיר 'עובדה': חשד כי לשכת נתניהו הייתה מעורבת במעצר פעילי רע״ם ביום הבחירות

A Channel 12 investigative report by Ilana Dayan on the program "Uvda" has raised suspicions that the campaign slogan "Arabs are stealing the elections" used in the recent 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 events began the night before the elections when, according to the report, Ido Nordan, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, contacted the Police Commissioner's office to complain about suspicious activity by Ra'am activists in the south. Nordan reportedly directed the police to an alleged intelligence source, a former employee of the Prime Minister's Office and an associate of former director general Yossi Shai, who provided allegedly incriminating information about three activists. This information was entered into police intelligence systems.

Following this, 14 police officers raided the homes of the three activists without search or arrest warrants. One of those arrested, Dr. Saif Abu Riash, a doctor from Rahat, was held for six days before being released. The report states that the suspicions against him were found to be exaggerated, and nothing was found in his home. He was also prevented from voting on election day. Netanyahu repeatedly used the incident throughout election day in his campaign, claiming Arab citizens were attempting to steal the elections. The "Uvda" report suggests that the event Netanyahu exploited politically may have been one his office was involved in creating.

The report also touches on the involvement of Shin Bet head David Zinai, who allegedly requested to monitor five Arab Knesset members as part of an investigation into foreign interference in the elections. The Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, blocked this request. Two days after the elections, Zinai reportedly told Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the National Unity party, that the Shin Bet had information from 2018 about Arabs "stealing" elections and that his predecessors had ignored it. However, the investigation found no substantial evidence of foreign interference that compromised the integrity of the elections.

Responses to the report have been varied. The Shin Bet stated it acted within its authority and according to the election committee chairman's instructions, declining to comment on specifics. The police referred to a confidential intelligence report presented to the court. The Prime Minister's Office issued a strong denial, calling the report "another false article" and a "serious attempt to silence" the election contamination affair. They stated that Nordan acted as any law-abiding citizen would by reporting criminal information to the police and denied any further involvement by the Chief of Staff, calling such claims libelous. They also pointed to the public knowledge of an individual being caught with cash and Ra'am ballots on election day.

Gadi Eisenkot called Netanyahu's conduct a "tangible, direct, and immediate threat to Israeli democracy," urging his removal from office. MK Yousef Jabareen of the Joint List accused Netanyahu of a "governmental coup attempt" and called for an immediate investigation. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats, described the suspicions as a "real danger" and "exploitation of state power to harm the democratic process." Yair Lapid, chairman of Yesh Atid, stated, "So there was indeed an attempt to steal the elections. It was managed by the Likud from Netanyahu's office." MK Ahmad Tibi of Ta'al called for an immediate police investigation against Netanyahu and his staff, labeling the alleged actions as "mafia-like behavior that endangers the foundations of democracy."