Shin Bet chief expands probe into alleged foreign funding to Arab MK

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar expanded an investigation into suspected foreign funding to a Joint List MK before the 2026 Israeli elections, despite weak evidence, and briefly sought to delay election results before retreating under pressure.

Haaretz and the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan 11) revealed that Shin Bet chief David Zini sparked sharp disagreements within security and legal bodies after seeking to expand an investigation into suspicions of "foreign interference" in the elections, despite the available information lacking solid evidence. Zini insisted on pushing to delay the official announcement of results, before retreating under pressure from senior officials. The case began about two weeks before the elections, following intelligence reports about the transfer of hundreds of thousands of shekels, suspected to be funds from a foreign entity, for use by a Knesset member from the Joint List. No clear evidence was available to prove the nature of the funding or its connection to influencing the elections. Senior officials in the Shin Bet, police, and the legal adviser concluded that the suspicions could not affect the election results even if proven true, but Zini was not convinced until Sunday, when he agreed to participate in a joint statement with the head of the Central Elections Committee and the legal adviser affirming that there was no basis for doubting the results.