Follow ChabadInfo & Never Miss an Update!

Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our WhatsApp status and broadcast Follow us on Tiktok Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on Google News Subscribe on YouTube

Israel’s Shin Bet is investigating suspicions that foreign actors, including Qatar and Turkey, transferred significant sums of money to organizations operating in the Arab sector in an effort to influence voter turnout in the recent Knesset elections.

According to Israeli media reports, investigators are examining whether the funds were intended to encourage voting through illegal means, including possible election bribery. Particularly concerning are reports that some of the financial channels under examination resemble routes previously used to transfer funds for terrorist purposes, including through money changers and local institutions.

The intelligence reportedly predates Election Day. Shin Bet chief David Zini briefed Central Elections Committee chairman and Supreme Court Deputy President Justice Noam Sohlberg, who subsequently sent Zini a formal directive on Wednesday ordering a thorough investigation.

In his letter, Sohlberg wrote that he had received serious suspicions of foreign actors working against Israel’s interests and attempting to improperly influence the elections through foreign funding. He emphasized that while he could not determine whether the allegations were substantiated, they must be investigated to protect the integrity of the elections and prevent attempts to undermine Israel’s democratic system.

Citing the legal deadline for filing election appeals, Sohlberg instructed Zini to submit any findings within a week.

Likud’s allegations and police response

The investigation comes amid allegations by Likud that serious irregularities took place at polling stations in Arab communities.

The party claims to have collected hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence, including allegations of cash distributed alongside Ra’am ballot slips, threats and violence against polling station officials, duplicate voting and the use of prohibited voter-mobilization software. Likud has called on police, the Shin Bet and the Elections Committee to investigate.

Police have said they found no investigative or intelligence evidence supporting the party’s broader claims of systematic election fraud.

Separately, police arrested three suspects in the Negev on the eve of the election after finding envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels in cash. Investigators initially suspected the money was intended to bribe voters on behalf of Ra’am. One suspect claimed the funds were intended as charity for needy families through the Islamic Movement. Police later said the initial investigation had not produced significant evidence against the suspects and that the case was expected to be closed.

1