Shin Bet, police arrest senior Balad activist Abd Abu Shahada over suspected security offenses

The Shin Bet and Israel Police arrested senior Balad activist Abd Abu Shahada in Jaffa on Wednesday over suspected security offenses. A three-day gag order was placed on the investigation. Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh condemned the arrest as a "grave crime" and part of Prime Minister Netanyahu's attempts to hijack the elections. No connection between the arrest and investigations into suspected election interference had been publicly established.

The Shin Bet and Israel Police arrested senior Balad activist Abd Abu Shahada in Jaffa on Wednesday over suspected security offenses. Police placed a three-day gag order on the investigation. No connection between the arrest and investigations into suspected election interference had been publicly established. Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh condemned the arrest as a "grave crime," alleging it was part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to hijack the elections. The arrest comes amid an escalating political dispute over Arab voters' role in the election outcome. Likud has challenged the legitimacy of the results, while the Shin Bet has sought to question senior Arab political figures. The Central Elections Committee approved results giving Netanyahu's coalition parties 53 seats, the opposition bloc 48, and the Arab parties 19, with neither bloc securing the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority. The committee said its review found no irregularities compromising election integrity. A separate police investigation concerns alleged vote-buying for Ra'am, with seven suspects arrested and most released by Tuesday.