Mossad said to join probe of alleged foreign influence at Shin Bet’s request

The Mossad has joined the Shin Bet's investigation into alleged foreign influence in Israel's national election, at the Shin Bet's request. The probe is suspected to involve Qatar and Turkey, both of which denied involvement. Three Ra'am activists were arrested on bribery suspicion, but reports say no evidence was found and the case may be closed. The tip reportedly came from Prime Minister Netanyahu's chief of staff.

The Mossad has joined the Shin Bet security service's investigation into alleged foreign influence in this week's national election, at the Shin Bet's request, according to Hebrew media reports. The probe is suspected to involve not just Qatar but also other countries, with Ynet naming Turkey. Both Doha and Ankara have denied any involvement. The investigation centers on an alleged effort to pay Arab voters to boost turnout on election day, leading to the arrest of three Ra'am activists on bribery suspicion. However, Haaretz reported that the three may be released from house arrest as no evidence of bribery has been found, and Channel 12 said police searched their homes without warrants. A source told Haaretz that the case originated with a tip from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff Ido Norden directly to Police Commissioner Daniel Levy's office. Opposition figures have accused Netanyahu of attempting to undermine the election results after his bloc lost its parliamentary majority. Police have stated the arrests were unconnected to the larger foreign influence investigation and that election day passed with very few irregular incidents. The Shin Bet stressed the investigation is focused and limited in scope. Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats versus 48 for the opposition, both short of a 61-seat majority.