Shin Bet briefs Netanyahu, Eisenkot and Lapid on suspected foreign election interference

Shin Bet stressed the intelligence behind the inquiry was gathered independently and did not originate with a political source.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Shin Bet Director David Zini personally briefed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and opposition leader Yair Lapid on suspicions of foreign interference in the elections for the 26th Knesset, N14 reported, as the agency continues investigating the allegations.

On Thursday, Judge Noam Sohlberg, the Central Elections Committee chairman, instructed Zini to investigate suspicions that foreign entities unlawfully funded efforts to increase Arab voter turnout.

The Shin Bet issued a detailed clarification Thursday evening following reports and political controversy over the investigation, stressing that the intelligence behind the inquiry was gathered independently and did not originate with a political party or other political source.

Zini briefed Netanyahu, Eisenkot and Lapid on the main suspicions under investigation.

According to the Shin Bet, those briefings were conducted with the approval and at Sohlberg’s request.

Until the elections concluded, Sohlberg was the only person outside the Shin Bet who had access to the intelligence that prompted the inquiry, the agency said.

“The information in question originated from the collection of information carried out by the Shin Bet pursuant to its statutory mission regarding the identification of foreign influence, and did not come from a party or political entity on either side of the political map,” the official statement said.

The agency also cautioned against drawing conclusions about the allegations while its investigation remains underway.

Reports and assessments concerning the extent of any foreign interference, the identities of those involved and the nature of the suspicions do not necessarily represent the Shin Bet’s findings, it said.

“Any statement concerning the content or nature of the suspicions is not made on behalf of the Shin Bet.”

Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be presented to Justice Sohlberg, who is authorized to make decisions on the matter in his capacity as chairman of the Central Elections Committee.