This story originally appeared in the JC’s Israel Briefing newsletter. You can sign up to the free daily email briefing here
An investigation into allegations of foreign interference in the national election has not yet yielded evidence of wrongdoing and may never do so, Israel’s election chief has said.
Supreme court deputy president Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the Central Elections Committee, said information gathered so far had not substantiated the claim, although an investigation involving the Shin Bet security service, police and attorney general’s office was continuing.
“The investigation is still ongoing. Confidential information has been presented – material that has not yet ripened into actual evidence, and may never do so; time will tell,” Sohlberg wrote in a letter to committee members yesterday.
He stressed, however, that suspicions of interference are serious and warrant a thorough investigation.
He also said that cooperation between the police, the Shin Bet and the attorney general’s office was “good” and rejected claims that attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara had obstructed the investigation, saying he had found no instances in which her office had refused requests from the Shin Bet to carry out investigative measures.
Sohlberg’s comments come after Shin Bet chief David Zini had raised suspicions that foreign funding was being used to influence the election, amid allegations that Qatar or Turkey had sought to boost turnout among Arab voters, whose parties secured a record 19 seats.
The Central Elections Committee has repeatedly said there is no evidence of systematic electoral fraud or irregularities that affected the result.
Sohlberg has also warned against attempts to undermine confidence in the democratic process. He criticised leaks concerning the investigation, describing them as a “malignant phenomenon”.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.