Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, has not uncovered any proof of foreign interference in last month’s elections, contradicting assertions made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shin Bet chief David Zini, according to a report by Haaretz.
Investigation Findings and Denials
Two senior Israeli law enforcement officials told Haaretz on Monday that the ongoing investigation has yielded no evidence that hundreds of thousands of shekels were sent from the Palestinian Authority to Arab-led parties in Israel. Investigators also found no money transfers from Qatar or any other Arab state, despite claims from Netanyahu’s Likud party that funds were funneled to increase voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel. Likud presented no tangible proof to back up these accusations.
These allegations follow a prolonged anti-Qatar campaign in Israel that started before the vote. Haaretz previously documented a covert operation involving political advisers and Israeli influence experts targeting Qatar shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks led by Hamas. Qatar has consistently rejected all accusations of interference, labeling them as entirely unsubstantiated.
The accusations from Netanyahu and Zini escalated following the strong electoral showing of parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel in the October 27 elections. Election authorities confirmed these parties secured 19 seats, providing Jewish opposition factions opposed to Netanyahu with enough parliamentary numbers to remove the prime minister, provided they cooperate with the Arab-led parties. Consequently, Israeli President Isaac Herzog instructed opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot to take the first step toward forming a government, which could end Netanyahu’s tenure.
Interviews and Evidence Review
Investigators have questioned dozens of individuals without uncovering any proof of illicit fund transfers. Furthermore, an examination of major fuel companies in Israel revealed no unusual transactions with fuel cards, debunking claims that Arab voters received bribes in the form of fuel cards for their ballots.
One official told Haaretz that the situation is “[It is] certainly not a security matter, and it is highly doubtful that it is even a criminal one.” Another official stated that the file contains “intelligence information without any real substantiation.”
Zini, appointed by Netanyahu last year as head of Shin Bet and viewed as an ally of the prime minister, has attempted to target several prominent politicians who are Palestinian citizens of Israel. Netanyahu also questioned a pre-election trip to Qatar by Ahmad Tibi, a prominent Arab politician in Israel. Tibi clarified that his journey to Doha was solely to make an appearance on Al Jazeera.
Majed al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the issue in an October 29 social media post, stating, “We reject the accusations made by certain Israeli politicians and their contacts in the media, who have launched yet another disinformation campaign aiming to drag Qatar into Israeli political disputes following this week’s elections.”
On Sunday, Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated she had reviewed the investigation and found no evidence that could have impacted the election outcome or justified claims of influence capable of altering the results. Israeli police and Shin Bet are scheduled to deliver their final assessments to Baharav-Miara shortly.
