Israel’s Central Elections Committee said Wednesday that its vote-count verification stands, just hours after the Shin Bet briefed members on intelligence showing massive cash flows from foreign countries to thousands of Israelis. In a statement titled “Clarification,” the committee said only that the Shin Bet investigation continues and that it will consider the implications only after findings are complete.
According to the Shin Bet briefing, intelligence points to large sums of money flowing into Israel from foreign countries by parties with hidden and even hostile interests, aimed at advancing foreign influence. The security service said the phenomenon is widespread, affecting thousands of people and possibly more, and that it needs additional collection and investigation to establish its scope. A joint Shin Bet-police investigative team has been formed, with the State Attorney’s Office overseeing.
The committee said it passed issues that emerged during the verification process to police, the Shin Bet, and the Privacy Protection Authority. Committee chairman Justice Noam Solberg is monitoring the investigation’s progress and working to remove obstacles as needed, the statement said. The committee closed with praise for Shin Bet chief David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, calling them “outstanding public servants.”
The clarification came after the committee’s plenum approved the election results 15 to 2, with 14 abstentions. Likud MK Amit Halevi resigned this morning from the committee to protest advancing the certification, arguing in his resignation letter that approving the results at this stage could legitimize foreign interference in the Knesset’s composition. Meanwhile, Jewish Power representatives voted against certifying the results, in a decision led by Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Before the vote, Solberg rejected Likud demands to convene the committee’s presidium and receive information about the suspicions, ruling that no one has authority to prevent publication of results on schedule. Likud attacked Solberg on Sunday after he declared alongside Zini and Baharav-Miara that the investigation would not affect the results. “Until the investigation is complete, a black cloud hangs over Israel’s election results,” the party said, noting that just 4,612 votes separated a mandate transfer from Ra’am to the right-wing bloc.