Election Bribery: PM's Staff Passed Data to Police

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff, Ido Norden, handed specific information to the Israel Police on Tuesday, triggering the arrest of three Ra'am party activists. The transfer of data occurred hours before the polls opened, according to a report by N12 News published on Thursday.

The three suspects are Bedouin residents of the Segev Shalom and Ar'ara BaNegev communities. Police allege the men attempted to bribe citizens to vote for Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas on the eve of Election Day. Unit Lahav 433 now controls the case.

Netanyahu announced a formal investigation after the arrests. He stated the suspects held envelopes with cash and ballots for Abbas. He urged his base to turn out in high numbers, telling right-wing voters to cast their ballots for Likud to protect the country.

Ra'am rejected the police actions, arguing the arrests targeted Arab voters rather than proving fraud. The party noted the men were taken from their homes, not from polling stations. It accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of using the police for political gain to suppress turnout.

Senior officials told N12 that an indictment is unlikely because the suspects explained the origin of the money. This internal assessment contrasts with the public pressure for a thorough review.

The case sits alongside a separate probe into foreign influence. Abbas denied involvement in a Qatar-linked scheme earlier on Thursday. He welcomed the decision by Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg to investigate foreign funding. Abbas claimed Netanyahu employs Qatari agents in his office.

The Shin Bet began its investigation under a directive from Sohlberg. The agency cited severe suspicions that foreign entities, potentially including Qatar and Turkey, funneled money to influence voting in Arab communities.