Shin Bet Finds No Trace of Foreign Funds in Israeli Election
Domestic security investigators conclude no money moved from the Palestinian Authority or Qatar to Arab-led parties, contradicting claims by Prime Minister Netanyahu and his agency chief.
By Grace Almasi ·
The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, has concluded its initial review of the October 27 elections and found no evidence of foreign financial interference. This finding stands in direct contrast to public statements made by agency chief David Zini and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who previously suggested that outside money had influenced the vote.
Two senior Israeli law enforcement officials told Haaretz that the investigation remains active but has yielded no proof that several hundred thousand shekels were moved from the Palestinian Authority to parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel. The inquiry also found no transfers originating from Qatar or other Arab nations, despite specific allegations that such funds were used to boost voter turnout.
The dispute began after opposition parties, many with strong support among Palestinian citizens of Israel, secured 19 seats in parliament. That total provides Jewish parties opposed to Netanyahu with enough leverage to potentially remove him from power if they form a coalition with Arab-led groups. Netanyahu’s Likud party had argued that financial incentives from the region had artificially inflated turnout, though the party offered no concrete documentation for those claims.
The allegations extend a long-standing campaign against Qatar that intensified after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. Haaretz previously reported that a secret effort involving Israeli influence experts targeted the Gulf state in the weeks following the war. Qatar’s government has consistently denied any involvement, labeling the accusations as unsubstantiated and part of a disinformation effort to drag the country into Israeli domestic disputes.
David Zini, who was appointed to lead the Shin Bet last year and is viewed as an ally of the prime minister, has sought to question several leading politicians who are Palestinian citizens of Israel. He also raised questions about a visit by Ahmad Tibi, a prominent Arab politician, to Doha shortly before the election. Tibi stated that his trip to Qatar was to appear on Al Jazeera.
Investigators also examined the theory that Arab voters were bribed with fuel cards. Haaretz reported that major fuel companies in Israel found no unusual activity in their systems during the relevant period, weakening the argument that financial incentives were distributed through that channel. Dozens of individuals have been questioned during the probe, but no physical evidence of money transfers has surfaced.
One senior official described the situation as a security matter only in the weakest sense. “It is certainly not a security matter, and it is highly doubtful that it is even a criminal one,” the official said. Another official noted that the case relies on intelligence information that lacks real substantiation.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said on Sunday that she had seen no evidence from the investigation that would influence the election results or substantiate a claim of influence that could change the outcome. She is scheduled to receive the formal assessments from the police and the Shin Bet in the coming days.
President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot with the first attempt to form a government. The 19 seats held by Arab-led parties are central to that effort, as they represent the balance of power needed to displace Netanyahu’s coalition.
