Israeli security officials recently summoned several activists from the Joint List, a majority Arab political coalition, to provide details about their rival, the Islamist Ra’am party, according to a report by Channel 12. The news agency cited multiple activists who stated they were questioned in recent days. This development follows remarks made on Thursday by Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg, who serves as the chairman of the Central Elections Committee. Sohlberg noted that while information regarding suspected foreign interference in last month’s election has been collected, it has not yet produced concrete evidence of wrongdoing, and may never do so.
The activists who were called in expressed surprise at the direction of the questioning. They reported that the Shin Bet investigators were not interested in the internal activities of the Joint List itself. Instead, the focus was heavily placed on Ra’am, a party that split from the three factions comprising the Joint List, namely Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad, in 2021. One activist described the police interrogation as an effort to recruit them as an informant to gather intelligence against their political rivals.
In one specific instance, a Joint List activist told Channel 12 that a Shin Bet investigator emphasized religious distinctions to encourage cooperation. The investigator reportedly stated, “You’re a Christian. They’re Islamists. You need to cooperate with us against them. Give me something.” The activist responded that he had no prior connection to Ra’am and could not understand why he was being questioned about the other party.
The Joint List has reacted strongly to the reported tactics, accusing the Shin Bet of becoming a political tool for the government. In a statement, the party asserted that such intimidation methods would neither deter nor silence its members. They also addressed the rift between their coalition and Ra’am, warning that while political and ideological differences exist, they are far smaller than the divide between the Arab parties and what they described as Kahanist and fascist forces threatening their collective future.
The Shin Bet responded to the media report by stating that it is acting within its legal authority. The agency explained that the questioning is part of a broader investigation into suspected subversion and foreign influence related to the election. The security service added that it is currently impossible to comment on the specific activities of the investigation.
This probe has continued since the October 27 election, despite election officials declaring that the vote was conducted properly. The investigation has primarily targeted the Arab-led Joint List and Ra’am. However, police reportedly informed the State Attorney’s Office that there was no suspicion of security offenses committed by the heads of these Arab parties, nor was there a need to interrogate them regarding the allegations.
On election day, three Ra’am activists were arrested on suspicion of participating in a vote-buying scheme. They were later released without restrictive conditions. The suspects were accused of planning to pay individuals to vote for Ra’am. During searches of their homes, police found envelopes containing cash and Ra’am ballots. The men denied the bribery claims, stating that the money was intended for charitable purposes.
A separate aspect of the Shin Bet probe focuses on allegations of outside financial interference. Initial claims suggested that Qatar had funneled a large sum of money into Israel to encourage Arab citizens to vote. However, later reports from Haaretz indicated that investigators were looking into a possible transfer of only a few hundred thousand shekels to Arab parties. This sum was reportedly from the Palestinian Authority rather than a foreign country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used these allegations to argue that the Arab parties stole the October 27 Knesset election, a vote in which he lost his parliamentary majority due to significant Arab voter turnout. Citing the claim of a stolen election, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party voted against certifying the results. The party has also submitted draft legislation aimed at dissolving the Knesset that was sworn in last week.
