‘Ra’amgate An Earthquake’: Netanyahu Calls On Zionist Parties To Shun Arab Parties After Allegations Of Foreign Funding Of Polls

Jerusalem: The decision of the Israel Election Committee to order an investigation into allegations of foreign funding into Tuesday's poll has created a political snowstorm in Jerusalem. Likud Party boss and incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the decision as an 'earthquake' and called on Zionist parties to reject any tie-up with Arab Parties. 

"The Ra'amgate affair is an earthquake. They stole the elections in Israel! The judge Solberg's statements about the involvement of foreign entities that interfered and bribed voters in favour of the Arab parties are an unprecedented shock. This is an attack on democracy whose purpose is to lead to a foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel, and the overthrow of right-wing rule in order to lead to retreat and defeat of the IDF in all arenas - and primarily Iran. After it was revealed that foreign entities tried to take over the Knesset, it is clear that no Zionist party should cooperate with Ra'am and the Joint List, replace the Knesset Speaker through votes bought for cash, and form a government that is dangerous to Israel. We demand to act immediately and with all means available to the Shin Bet and the police to investigate these crimes," Netanyahu said in his post on X.   

After the committee’s decision, Israel's incumbent Finance Minister and Chairman of the Religious Zionism Party Bezalel Smotrich called for interrogation of the heads of the Arab parties. 

Smotrich who is a key player in the Likud led coalition said, "The suspicion of election interference with foreign Islamist money is a litmus test for the State of Israel. The heads of the Arab parties must be interrogated by the Shin Bet today. The State of Israel will not be sold to radical Islam with terrorist money." 

Incumbent Minister of National Security and Chairman of Otzma Yehudit, Itamar Ben Gvir echoed that calling for the arrest of the Arab party bosses and alleging involvement of money from Qatar. 

"The Shin Bet must order, already this morning, the arrest of the heads of the Arab parties suspected of involvement in Qatari money, and of all other suspects in the affair, including figures in the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots, insofar as there is a legal basis for their arrest," he said. 

The call to action follows Israeli Central Elections Committee Chair Justice Noam Sohlberg asking Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate allegations of foreign interference in Tuesday’s election. 

“Serious suspicions have been brought to my attention regarding improper influence on the elections — exerted through funding provided by foreign entities acting against Israeli interests. While I cannot attest to the substance of these suspicions, it is my view that — given they involve foreign entities — there is an obligation to investigate them thoroughly,” Sohlberg wrote in his letter to Shin Bet according to Israeli media. 

“In light of this, I instruct you to do everything in your power to investigate these suspicions, utilizing the authority of the Shin Bet to uncover evidence that either substantiates or refutes them. Only in this way can we ensure public trust in the electoral process and the integrity of the democratic procedure,” he added. 

Sohlberg has asked Shin Bet to present the findings of the investigation within a week. 

Opposition bloc leader Gadi Eisenkot however, cautioned against using the investigation to delay the inauguration of the new Knesset. 

"The State of Israel must guard the purity of the elections with utmost vigilance against any attempt at interference, spin, and bias, and thoroughly investigate every complaint. On the other hand, it is forbidden to allow political actors to exploit the situation and influence the timing of the inauguration of the 26th Knesset," he said. 

The order to investigate allegations of foreign funding with links to Arab parties is likely to strike a body blow to a possibility of them joining hands with the Eisenkot led bloc to form a government. What that means is that government formation is now poised on a knife's edge and whoever President Herzog invites to form the government will have his hands full.