Spy Chief Calls Election Probe a Strategic Failure
Shin Bet head David Zini compared the investigation into alleged foreign funding to the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 2023 Hamas attack.
By Isaac Medina ·
Israel’s domestic security service is currently investigating allegations of foreign money flowing into the October 27 election to influence the results. At a recent internal conference, Shin Bet Director David Zini placed that probe in the highest tier of national security threats.
Zini told Channel 12 that he views the case as comparable to the failures behind the October 7 Hamas attack and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He described the alleged interference as the greatest strategic terror attack in the country's history.
The director sought to reassign officers from the Palestinian arena to a special team handling the election allegations. That transfer did not happen because the special team stated it did not need the additional personnel.
A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told Channel 12 that the Shin Bet deployed capabilities that exceeded the realm of reason given the evidence available. Other Shin Bet sources said Zini believed with all his heart that very serious things occurred and was moving resources in a disproportionate manner.
Those same sources accused Zini of throwing a tantrum and creating a partial and misleading picture based on isolated intelligence. The network reported that the service is examining three suspected channels for hostile foreign actors to transfer money into Israel.
Investigators identified one route before the vote and said they had solid evidence of the money's origin and destination, though the amount was described as almost negligible. Two other channels appeared after the election and rest on more limited evidence.
Hebrew media reported that Shin Bet and police officials agreed to form a joint task force with the State Attorney’s Office. Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg announced the team on Sunday, but it has not yet convened. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara accused the Shin Bet of withholding evidence.
The probe began after Netanyahu's Likud party claimed the election was stolen by Arab parties, citing bribery and intimidation. Reports indicated the allegations involve Qatari or Turkish funding to encourage Arab voting. Sohlberg has since said the alleged interference would not have changed the result.
