Allegations Against Netanyahu for Attempting to Overturn Election Results... and Misusing Shin Bet to Prevent Power Transfer

An Israeli report reveals allegations that Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp launched a political and media campaign to cast doubt on the election results, by promoting claims of foreign interference and the falsification of Arab voters’ ballots, with the aim of delaying the announcement of results and preventing the replacement of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, culminating in an attempt to invalidate the election.

1 - Shock from the Shin Bet chief: The head of the Shin Bet, David Barnea, stunned participants in a meeting with the head of the Elections Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, when he demanded an investigation into four Arab leaders: Mansour Abbas, Ahmad Tibi, Ayyman Odeh, and Sami Abu Shamsiyya, despite the lack of sufficient evidence against most of them.

2 - Investigation and arrest requests without evidence: According to the report, Barnea requested that the case be classified as a security matter, thereby enabling the use of exceptional powers. Arrest and investigation requests, as well as bans on meeting with lawyers, were submitted despite the weak legal basis. The State Attorney’s Office opposed this approach and insisted on forming a joint investigation team comprising the Shin Bet, the police, and the Public Prosecution.

3 - Suspicions of foreign funding: The case is based on preliminary information regarding the transfer of funds from a foreign entity to an association, and from there to a prominent figure in an Arab party and possibly to close political associates. However, informed sources confirm that there is no evidence linking these transfers to influencing the election results. Approximately a thousand complaints regarding vote-buying and electoral violations were also examined, without finding evidence that undermined the integrity of the election.

4 - Attempt to postpone the results: Likud representative Ilan Bomback, followed by 16 representatives from seven coalition parties, demanded access to investigation materials before the results were certified. However, Solberg refused to link the publication of results to investigations, emphasizing that there is no legal authority to prevent their announcement.

5 - Media campaign against Arab voting: The report accuses Channel 14 and media outlets close to Netanyahu of promoting narratives about election fraud and interference by Hamas and foreign entities. It notes that this campaign began before the election and intensified afterward, coinciding with a 428 percent rise in inflammatory rhetoric against Arab citizens, according to data cited in the report.

6 - Political instrumentalization of the Shin Bet: The report cites security and legal sources expressing concern that Barnea may have been subjected to political pressure, or that he may have become convinced of the existence of a wide network of foreign interference without possessing the necessary evidence. It also points to disagreements over the handover of investigation materials and the leaking of information to media outlets close to Netanyahu.

7 - Election results are not threatened: The report confirms that Solberg announced, with the approval of Barnea and the State Attorney, that the suspicions under investigation, even if proven, do not affect the overall election results nor justify their annulment.

8 - The upcoming battle for the Knesset speakership: One of the report’s sources expects Netanyahu’s camp to attempt to prevent the vote on replacing Ohana, which could lead to a constitutional crisis and Supreme Court intervention to compel the Knesset to convene. The source fears that this intervention could later be exploited to challenge the legitimacy of the new government.

The report’s author argues that what is unfolding is not merely a dispute over election integrity, but an attempt by the camp that lost its parliamentary majority to retain power by casting doubt on Arab citizens’ votes and leveraging security and judicial agencies in the political struggle.

He concludes that the immediate threat is no longer just the annulment of election results, but the disruption of the transfer of control over the Knesset and the prevention of the new majority from exercising its powers, which could push Israel into a severe constitutional crisis.