Supreme Court Justice Urges Shin Bet Probe into Foreign Election Meddling
Central Election Committee Chairman Noam Solberg has urged Shin Bet Director David Zini to investigate serious suspicions of foreign funding and electoral interference, as separate arrests target vote-buying schemes.
Central Election Committee Chairman and Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Solberg has sent an extraordinary letter to Shin Bet Director David Zini, urging an immediate investigation into serious suspicions of foreign funding and electoral bribery. The move follows a high-level meeting between the officials, with election authorities describing the gathered intelligence as solid.
In his strongly worded letter, Solberg stressed that electoral integrity is the cornerstone of democracy. He revealed that serious allegations had been brought before him regarding illicit foreign influence and funding orchestrated by external actors working against Israeli national interests. While noting that he cannot independently verify the veracity of the claims, Solberg emphasized that the involvement of foreign actors mandates a thorough security investigation to prevent subversive activities and protect democratic institutions.
Solberg instructed the Shin Bet leadership to utilize its full statutory authority to uncover evidence or dismiss the suspicions, requesting preliminary findings within the coming week due to statutory deadlines for election appeals. Meanwhile, separate arrests have been made regarding suspected vote-buying schemes involving the Ra'am party.
Amid these developments, the Likud party issued a sharp statement alleging severe electoral manipulation by Arab factions, claiming that illegal activities, including bribery, threats, and voter suppression software, compromised the integrity of the vote.
