Tel Aviv [Israel], October 29 (ANI): Israel’s leader of Israel’s Yashar party, chairman and the country’s former military chief Gadi Eisenkot said on Thursday that no political actor should be allowed to delay the inauguration of the 26th Knesset, as Shin Bet probes allegations of foreign influence in the recently concluded elections for control of the Knesset.
“It is forbidden to allow political actors to exploit the situation and influence the timing of the inauguration of the 26th Knesset,” he wrote on X.
While maintaining that that the “purity of elections should be maintained with utmost vigilance” Eisenkot, being the main opposition to incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that he is in contact with “relevant authorities and receiving updates regarding suspicions of foreign involvement in the elections.”
“I am in contact with the relevant authorities and receiving updates regarding suspicions of foreign involvement in the elections. The State of Israel must guard the purity of the elections with utmost vigilance against any attempt at interference, spin, and bias, and thoroughly investigate every complaint,” Eisenkot added.
Eisenkot’s comments come as Israel’s Central Elections Committee Chair Justice Noam Sohlberg has asked Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate allegations of foreign interference in Tuesday’s election, as per Times of Israel.
Israel’s incumbent Finance Minister and Chairman of the Religious Zionism Party Bezalel Smotrich has called for interrogation of the heads of the Arab parties.
Smotrich who is a key player in the Likud led coalition said, "The suspicion of election interference with foreign Islamist money is a litmus test for the State of Israel. The heads of the Arab parties must be interrogated by the Shin Bet today. The State of Israel will not be sold to radical Islam with terrorist money."
Incumbent Minister of National Security and Chairman of Otzma Yehudit, Itamar Ben Gvir echoed that call calling for the arrest of the Arab party bosses and alleging involvement of money from Qatar.
"The Shin Bet must order, already this morning, the arrest of the heads of the Arab parties suspected of involvement in Qatari money, and of all other suspects in the affair, including figures in the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots, insofar as there is a legal basis for their arrest," he said.
Yisrael Beytenu boss AvigdorLiberman, who is a key player in the opposition bloc, also weighed in on the allegations calling for a swift investigation from Shin Bet. (ANI)
Israel: Eisenkot says “forbidden to allow political actors to exploit situation” as Shin Bet probes alleged electoral fraud
