Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin on Thursday called for a full Shin Bet investigation into serious allegations of foreign interference surrounding Israel’s elections, declaring that even members of the Knesset must be questioned if they were involved or knew about wrongdoing and remained silent.
Levin’s remarks came amid mounting controversy over suspicions of foreign funding and election bribery, following reports that the chairman of the Central Elections Committee had instructed the Shin Bet to investigate allegations involving foreign actors.
“The serious suspicions that have been exposed require a full Shin Bet investigation,” Levin said in a statement.
“No one must be immune. If necessary, even Knesset members who were involved or who knew what was happening and remained silent must be summoned for immediate questioning.”
The justice minister also pointed to a social media post by a former Qatari prime minister celebrating the political developments in Israel, arguing that the reaction demonstrated how Israel’s enemies view the prospect of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu losing power.
“There is one lesson we can already learn from the former Qatari prime minister’s celebratory tweet: Our enemies in Qatar understood the situation very well. They immediately recognized that Netanyahu’s government is good for Israel and bad for Israel’s enemies,” Levin said.
“Replacing it is in the interests of our enemies, not ours. Sometimes the truth is so simple that it can be seen from afar.”
Levin’s comments come as Israel continues counting votes from Tuesday’s Knesset elections, with the political landscape remaining deeply divided and neither major bloc securing a clear governing majority.
According to Channel 14, with approximately 95% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc stood at 53 seats, leaving coalition negotiations uncertain.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
