Shin Bet, Mossad close to completing probe of alleged Qatari funding for Arab get-out-the-vote effort — report

The Shin Bet and Mossad are close to completing their investigation into alleged Qatari funding for a get-out-the-vote campaign in Arab society, Channel 12 reports.

The network says the agencies have verified the movement of funds from Qatar to a “political actor” in the Arab-majority Joint List party to encourage Arab citizens to vote. Israeli political parties are strictly forbidden to receive funds from noncitizens.

The recipient of the funds will face legal proceedings, and the findings of the investigation are expected to be presented to Central Elections Committee chief Noam Sohlberg by the end of this week, Channel 12 says, adding that the funding would, in any case, not have been able to affect the results of the vote.

Separately, after Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman today accused Ra’am and the Joint List of receiving support from the Palestinian Authority, Channel 12 says the Shin Bet confirmed it is looking into unverified information that the PA had sent funds to the Arab parties.

It’s still unclear whether, how much, and to what end such funds were transferred, the network says.