Israeli far-right Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the arrest and interrogation of the leaders of all Arab political parties, urging the country's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, to act without the approval of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Ben-Gvir made the demand on Wednesday, shortly after Israel's Central Elections Committee formally certified the election results and the distribution of seats in the Knesset, having found no systemic irregularities that would invalidate the outcome. Addressing Shin Bet Director David Zini, Ben-Gvir alleged that suspicions of foreign funding and election interference justified immediate security measures, including suspending the certified results and halting negotiations over the formation of a new government.
"Following the Shin Bet's exposure of suspicions regarding foreign funding and election interference involving enormous sums and the involvement of thousands of people, I call on the Shin Bet chief, David Zini, to act even without the Attorney General's approval today to arrest all the heads of the Arab parties and interrogate them in the Shin Bet's basements until the suspicions are fully clarified, and to immediately freeze the approval of the election results and the formation of the government," Ben-Gvir stated. The Otzma Yehudit leader also claimed that the electoral process had been compromised, echoing allegations previously raised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. "Elections were stolen here in the State of Israel," he added.
"We must not stay silent about this, and we must not leave even a single stone unturned on the way to exposing the truth." The allegations stand in contrast to the Central Elections Committee's certification of the results. No evidence establishing widespread electoral fraud was provided in Ben-Gvir's remarks. His demand would involve the detention of Arab political leaders based on alleged election-related suspicions, while bypassing the approval of Israel's attorney general.
The call also places Shin Bet at the centre of the dispute over the election outcome, with Ben-Gvir urging the domestic security service to intervene directly in the political process. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
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