PM's Chief of Staff Shared Data That Led to Ra'am Activist Arrests

Three Bedouin activists from the Ra'am party were arrested in the Negev on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Chief of Staff, Ido Norden, passed specific intelligence to the Israel Police. N12 News reported on Thursday that Norden contacted senior police officials to provide the details that triggered the arrests. The suspects are residents of the Segev Shalom and Ar'ara BaNegev communities. Police suspect they attempted to bribe voters on the eve of Election Day to support the party led by Mansour Abbas.

The Lahav 433 unit, which handles economic crimes, now holds jurisdiction over the case. Netanyahu announced a formal investigation after the arrests. He stated that the suspects were found with envelopes containing cash and ballots for Abbas. The prime minister used the incident to rally his base. He urged right-wing and Likud supporters to vote, framing the arrests as a defense against attempts to compromise electoral integrity.

Ra'am officials disputed the timing and location of the arrests. The party stated that activists were taken from their homes hours before polling stations opened. They argued the suspects were not near voters or ballot boxes. Ra'am called the moves baseless arrests designed to suppress Arab voter turnout. The party accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of using the police for political gain. It said the arrests were part of a broader effort to undermine the party's standing.

Senior officials told N12 that the case may not lead to an indictment. They noted that the suspects explained the origin of the money in question. This assessment comes amid a separate probe into foreign influence on the election. Abbas denied involvement in a scheme involving Qatari funding. He said he supports the investigation by Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg. Abbas countered that Netanyahu employs Qatari agents in his own office.

The Shin Bet opened an investigation into suspicions that foreign entities, potentially including Qatar and Turkey, funneled money to influence voting in Arab communities. The agency said the probe began following Sohlberg's directive. It cited severe suspicions of improper influence by entities acting against Israeli interests. The agency's investigation runs parallel to the police probe into the three arrested activists. Both matters center on the integrity of the recent electoral process.

The arrests occurred during a period of heightened scrutiny over election conduct. Police relied on the information provided by Norden to identify the suspects. The suspects are currently being processed by Lahav 433. The case remains open as investigators review the evidence collected during the arrests.