Eisenkot warns against political actors exploiting election interference probe to delay Knesset swearing-in

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot warns against politically exploiting allegations of foreign interference in Tuesday’s election to delay the swearing-in of the next Knesset, in an apparent message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, after Central Elections Committee head Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg instructed the Shin Bet to investigate suspicions of funding and electoral bribery by foreign entities.

“Israel must do everything in its power to safeguard the integrity of the elections against any attempt at interference, spin or manipulation, and thoroughly investigate every complaint,” Eisenkot says. “At the same time, political actors must not be allowed to exploit the situation to influence the date of the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset.”

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calls on the Shin Bet to arrest Arab party leaders suspected of involvement with Qatari money, along with others including figures associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, provided there are legal grounds for their arrest.

Hebrew media reports say Netanyahu’s Likud party believes Qatar and Turkey were behind alleged funding of organizations working to boost Arab voter turnout. No evidence has been presented publicly substantiating the allegations or implicating Arab party leaders.

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman, meanwhile, calls Sohlberg’s letter to the Shin Bet a “dramatic and unprecedented development,” urging law enforcement authorities to “act swiftly to uncover the truth as soon as possible.”

The allegations come amid a broader Likud campaign to challenge election results in Arab communities after Netanyahu’s bloc lost its parliamentary majority. Earlier today, police dismissed the party’s claims that the election had been “stolen” by Arab parties, saying there was “no supporting evidence.”