Israeli Election Bribery Probe 'Limited' & Won't Affect Results: Shin Bet
The investigation into suspected Israeli election fraud is limited in scope and unlikely to affect the results, security sources and a senior election official said on Thursday.
Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, said in an official statement that the investigation was "targeted and limited". Channel 12 quoted agency sources as saying the matter under investigation could not affect the election results.
Separately, Dean Livne, acting director general of the Central Elections Committee, said there was “no basis for allegations of systematic violations of election integrity”.
The statements came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party claimed the election had been “stolen” by Palestinian citizens of Israel following their record turnout and electoral gains.
Likud warned of an attempted “Islamization of Israel” after reports emerged that Shin Bet was investigating suspected foreign interference in the vote. The investigation centres on alleged funding efforts to increase turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Israeli politicians and media outlets aligned with the government accused Qatar of providing the funding. Doha rejected the allegations, calling them “ridiculous and dangerous”.
Palestinian-led parties also denied any involvement. They accused Netanyahu of running an incitement campaign against them.
The parties, which contested the election on two separate slates, Ra'am and the Joint List, won 19 seats, potentially giving them a decisive role in coalition negotiations.
Limited probe
Shin Bet said its findings would be presented to the Central Elections Committee once the investigation was complete. It stressed that the inquiry focused on individuals rather than an entire section of society.
“It should be emphasised that this type of investigation is also targeted and limited, and it should not be used to cast suspicion or accuse an entire segment of the population that voted democratically and legally,” the agency said. “Only those who acted in violation of the law will be addressed.”
The agency added that Netanyahu and opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Lapid had been personally briefed on the main allegations under investigation.
Following the briefing, Lapid said the allegations were unlikely to affect the election results. The evidence did not justify challenging the outcome or delaying the swearing-in of the new Knesset, he added.
“Based on my familiarity with the material and the opinion of authorities dealing with the matter, there is no risk to challenge the election results, and there is no impediment to swearing in the Knesset,” Lapid said on X.
Eisenkot, leader of the main opposition bloc and a candidate to replace Netanyahu as prime minister, accused Likud of running a campaign to undermine the election results.
“It is already clear that Likud and Netanyahu have embarked on a coordinated, organised campaign seeking to delegitimise the results of the election,” he said.
Likud had urged Zionist opposition parties to rule out any agreement with the Palestinian-led electoral slates. “After it was revealed that foreign entities tried to take over the Knesset, it is clear that no Zionist party should cooperate with Ra'am and the Joint List, replace the Knesset speaker through votes bought for cash, and form a government that is dangerous to Israel,” the party said.
The statement came after Ahmad Tibi, a Joint List member of the Knesset, told Israeli Army Radio that opposition figures had approached him about replacing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Likud lawmaker.
Tibi did not identify the party involved but said several potential replacements had been discussed.
“We support replacing the Knesset speaker. That is something an opposition does after an election... I think the right thing to do is to take this step,” he said.