Israeli Politicsupdated 2h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 15 October 2023Qatar Denies Interfering in Israel Elections as Shin Bet Probes Foreign Funding
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Qatar categorically denies interfering in Israeli elections or funding influence operations. Israeli officials allege Qatar funded Arab turnout; Shin Bet investigating foreign funding.
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Qatar Denies Interference
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied “categorically having interfered in Israel's elections,” saying the accusation is part of a “new disinformation campaign.” Majed al-Ansari rejected claims that Qatar funded activities aimed at influencing the vote, and he said, “We reject the accusations made by certain Israeli politicians and their contacts in the media.” Israel’s Central Elections Committee chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg directed Shin Bet to investigate “serious suspicions of undue influence through foreign financing,” and the investigation examined alleged funding channels including possible ties to networks previously linked to terrorist organizations.
Mansour Abbas, head of the Arab-Israeli party Ra’am, denied accusations about his alleged involvement in an electoral interference plot through Qatar and said Ra’am welcomed Sohlberg’s decision to investigate suspicions of foreign financing. The Shin Bet investigation also examined reports on the interception of envelopes containing cash and ballots in favor of the Ra’am party, with preliminary inquiries pointing to Qatar and Turkey as potential sources.
Likud, Abbas, and the Investigation
Netanyahu’s Likud party and media outlets associated with it accused Qatar of sending money to Arab parties in Israel for get-out-the-vote drives, and Qatar rejected those claims as unsubstantiated. Dean Livine, the acting director for Israel’s Central Elections Committee, rejected allegations of foreign interference and wrote, “The Knesset elections were conducted lawfully.” Mansour Abbas told reporters that “To 'Abu Yair' [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], who employs Qatari agents in his own office,” Ra’am would respond with “There will be nothing, because there is nothing.”
The Shin Bet investigation, as described by Israel National News, involved suspicions that funds were transferred from foreign sources including entities in Qatar and Turkey, and it said seven suspects had been arrested and the case was transferred to Israel Police’s Lahav 433 Unit. Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy pledged to safeguard election integrity, saying, “We will not allow anyone to undermine the integrity of the elections or the democratic process.”
Consequences for Coalition Math
Partial results indicated that Netanyahu’s bloc would not secure a majority in the Knesset, and those results showed the two Arab lists securing a record number of seats in the new parliament. Anadolu Ajansı said turnout reached 77.7% on Tuesday evening, up 7.1 percentage points from 2022, and it reported Arab participation at 80% while preliminary data showed Arab participation helped keep Netanyahu and his bloc from reaching the 61-seat majority. Euronews said Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 53 seats with around 90% of votes counted, the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot 48, and Arab-led parties 19, leaving coalition formation unresolved.
Qatar’s spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the accusations would not distract Doha from its “important role as a mediator,” and he added that Qatar would continue “our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts” and “support for the Palestinian people.” The dispute over foreign interference and alleged funding channels also fed into calls for investigations and cooperation, with Ra’am and the Joint List both denying wrongdoing while the Central Elections Committee and Shin Bet pursued the inquiry.