Fact Revelation: How the 'Arabs Are Stealing the Elections' Campaign Was Born

An 'Uvda' investigation reveals that a former employee of Prime Minister Netanyahu's office provided intelligence information that was planted in police computers against Ra'am activists in the south. The information was pulled on election morning under the direction of Netanyahu's office and led to a wave of arrests in the south. Meanwhile, Shin Bet chief David Zini demanded to plant wiretaps on Arab MKs and was blocked at the last moment by the Attorney General. The report describes how Iddo Norden, head of staff in Netanyahu's office, called the police commissioner's office on election eve with a complaint about Ra'am activists and referred to an intelligence source – a former employee of the Prime Minister's office. Based on this information, 14 police officers raided without search warrants the homes of three activists, including Dr. Siaf Abu Rish, a doctor from Rahat. The arrests fueled the 'Arabs Are Stealing the Elections' campaign throughout election day. The report notes that the suspicions turned out to be exaggerated, and the activists were released without indictment.