Shin Bet investigators questioned activists from the majority-Arab Joint List party in recent days, pressing them to provide information about the rival Islamist Ra’am party.
The questioning emerged after Central Elections Committee Chairman Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg stated on Thursday that information regarding suspicions of foreign interference in the October 27 election has not yielded evidence of wrongdoing and may never do so.
Summoned Joint List activists told Channel 12 that they expected questions about their own party but found investigators focused entirely on Ra’am, which broke away from Joint List factions Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad in 2021.
One Joint List activist described the interrogation as an attempt to recruit him as an informant against the rival party. A Shin Bet investigator highlighted religious differences to encourage cooperation, telling the activist, “You’re a Christian. They’re Islamists. You need to cooperate with us against them. Give me something,” according to Channel 12.
The activist responded that he had no connection to Ra’am and did not understand the questioning. “a political tool of the government” is what the Joint List accused the Shin Bet of becoming, in response to the report, stating that such intimidation tactics will neither deter nor silence them.
The party added that ideological differences with Ra’am are dwarfed by the chasm between them and Kahanist and fascist forces.
Did You Know? Three Ra’am activists were arrested on election day on suspicion of involvement in an alleged vote-buying scheme involving envelopes of cash and ballots, but they were released without restrictive conditions after denying the bribery allegations and claiming the money was intended for charitable purposes.
The Shin Bet said that it is acting in accordance with its legal authority as part of an investigation into suspected subversion and foreign influence relating to the election.
While election officials maintain the vote was conducted properly, the probe has primarily focused on the Arab-led Joint List and Ra’am. “there is no suspicion of security offenses” by Arab party heads, according to what police reportedly told the State Attorney's Office, and there is no need to interrogate them.
Initial claims suggested Qatar funneled large sums to encourage Arab citizens to vote, but Haaretz later reported that investigators looked into the transfer of no more than a few hundred thousand shekels from the Palestinian Authority instead.
Benjamin Netanyahu seized on the allegations to suggest Arab parties stole the election after he lost his parliamentary majority amid massive Arab voter turnout. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party voted against certifying the results and submitted draft legislation to dissolve the Knesset.
Activated Joint List members were called in by the Shin Bet to provide information about the rival Islamist Ra’am party, according to reports by Channel 12.
Central Elections Committee Chairman Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg said that information provided regarding suspicions of foreign interference in the October 27 election has not yet yielded evidence of wrongdoing and may never do so.
Initial claims alleged Qatar funneled a large sum of money to encourage Arab citizens to vote, but later reports indicated investigators examined the transfer of a few hundred thousand shekels from the Palestinian Authority.
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