Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman says security probe into allegations of election interference center on the Palestinian Authority, following previous reports suggesting the investigation focused on Qatar and Turkey.
By World Israel News Staff
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman accused the Palestinian Authority on Monday of secretly financing Arab political parties during Israel’s October 27 election, amid an investigation into suspected foreign interference in the vote.
Liberman said that Ramallah had not only provided financial assistance to the Joint List and the United Arab List (Ra’am) but had also directed their political activities.
The accusations follow a report that a Joint List lawmaker allegedly received hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash, raising suspicions of bribery and money laundering.
On Sunday, i24NEWS journalist Avishai Grinzaig reported that an elected Joint List representative had received the money under suspicious circumstances.
However, investigators have not established that the funds were used to purchase votes or finance election activities, nor have they confirmed their source.
Joint List lawmaker Ahmad Tibi rejected accusations of foreign financing during an interview with Channel 12 on Saturday.
“The Joint List has never received money from Qatar, Pakistan or the United States,” Tibi declared.
The investigation began after intelligence gathered by the Shin Bet raised concerns that foreign entities had attempted to influence the election through unlawful financial activities.
Initial reports suggested that Qatar had transferred funds to organizations or individuals involved in encouraging Arab voter turnout. Investigators subsequently examined the possible involvement of additional countries, including Turkey, while the Mossad reportedly joined the investigation to examine potential international financial connections.
Qatar and Turkey have denied involvement.
Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg ordered an investigation on October 29, stressing the importance of protecting the electoral process.
“The integrity of elections is the heart of democracy,” Sohlberg wrote.
The Shin Bet has emphasized that its investigation concerns specific individuals and suspected offenses rather than Arab voters generally.
“Only those who acted contrary to the law will be dealt with,” the agency stated.
Sohlberg has likewise cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about the election results.
“Suspicions are suspicions. Solid evidence is required to challenge election results,” he said.
The allegations have intensified political tensions as Israel’s parties negotiate the formation of a new government following an election in which neither major bloc secured an independent parliamentary majority.
The Joint List and Ra’am won a combined 19 Knesset seats, giving Arab lawmakers potentially decisive influence over coalition negotiations.
Netanyahu and Liberman have both opposed efforts to form a government dependent on Arab-party support, although Liberman has also ruled out joining a Netanyahu-led coalition.
Despite the growing controversy, investigators have not publicly established that foreign funding influenced the election outcome. The Central Elections Committee has maintained that the results will be finalized as scheduled while the investigation continues.
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