Shin Bet Probe Tests Israel’s Election Transfer

On Tuesday, the Shin Bet arrested Middle East Eye contributor Abd Abu Shahadeh in a “security-related investigation,” as the service pursued election-related inquiries that a law enforcement source said lacked evidence. Israel’s Central Elections Committee formally gave the October 27 election results to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday and dismissed allegations of widespread fraud. The inquiries continued.

The Palestinian-led parties Ra’am and the Joint List won 19 seats in the Knesset, an unprecedented result. The Joint List said Thursday it would recommend opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form a government. Meanwhile, Shin Bet chief David Zini was reportedly leading investigations into allegations of fraud, bribery and foreign interference in the Palestinian vote. No evidence had been made public.

The election result and the security apparatus

Yair Golan, leader of the opposition Democrats party, said Wednesday that “the police are detaining political activists without a warrant” and that the Shin Bet was trying to question senior elected officials “without presenting evidence.” He also accused the outgoing government of refusing to recognize the election results. Later, Golan said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to “carry out a coup and seize power by force.”

The Central Elections Committee’s decision to dismiss allegations of widespread fraud stood alongside the continuing security inquiries. Ynet reported that more than 1,000 allegations of election fraud had been examined and none was found credible. Haaretz reported that only one Shin Bet investigation into the election began before voting day; the remaining inquiries involving Palestinian political leaders and activists began after Netanyahu’s bloc lost.

A source familiar with the investigations told Ynet they lacked even basic evidence. “Zini has no idea what his role is, what the law says, or how he stands in relation to the law,” the source said. “To investigate a Knesset member, you need more than speculation.” A law enforcement source told Channel 13 News that Zini was “throwing out names without evidence and echoing Likud’s talking points.”

Zini was appointed Shin Bet chief by Netanyahu last year, drawing criticism over his far-right views. He is a former senior army officer and a settler in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights with longstanding connections to the settler movement. He has reportedly said Shin Bet chiefs “have to act according to the law, but they are first and foremost subordinate to the prime minister.” Channel 12 News reported that Zini’s deputy, described as “very close to Netanyahu,” was directing the inquiries despite law enforcement officials believing there was insufficient evidence to charge suspects.

Arab parties and the contest for government

The Joint List said it would tell President Isaac Herzog it recommends Eisenkot for the task of forming a government. The alliance’s statement said the recommendation would be delivered Thursday evening. Arab-led parties won 19 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, giving them potential influence over government formation.

Former prime minister Yair Lapid said Netanyahu was attempting “to crush democracy and steal the elections with the help of sleeper agents of the regime in the security establishment.” Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of an “organised attempt” to “sabotage Israeli democracy.” Haaretz journalist Amos Harel called the situation a “regime coup,” while Ynet journalist Ronen Bergman said Israel was “in the midst of a coup attempt.” Those are accusations by opposition figures and commentators; the election committee formally presented the results to the president.

Washington’s votes, and the argument over support

Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress in the November 3 midterms, and new lawmakers critical of Israel won races in both. Lapid urged Israel’s incoming government to rebuild bipartisan support through visits with politicians and communities across the political spectrum. He said most Democratic officials were not opposed to Israel, but were appalled by the outgoing Israeli coalition.

New York Congressman-elect Brad Lander rejected Lapid’s proposed tour. “We aren’t starving for a barnstorming tour,” he wrote. “We’re hungry to see respect for international law and human rights.” The Times of Israel reported that public opinion of Israel had fallen sharply in the United States, especially among Democrats, amid anger over the Iran war, launched jointly by the US and Israel in February. The report also said President Donald Trump announced military aid for Israel would halt at the end of the year, while Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for Republican election losses. In Israel, the argument over influence in Washington now runs alongside a more immediate dispute over who controls the security services—and whether elected results will be allowed to stand.