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Seven people have been arrested in an investigation into alleged attempts to bribe voters to support the Arab Ra’am party, as Israel’s domestic security agency separately investigates suspected foreign interference in the national election.
Three men from Bedouin communities in the Negev were arrested on Tuesday, the day of the elections, on suspicion of arranging payments to influence voters.
Police said searches of their homes uncovered envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels, alongside notes and other evidence.
Four additional men, including three school principals, were arrested on Thursday and questioned by the national fraud unit, Lahav 433.
The bribery investigation is separate from a Shin Bet inquiry into suspected foreign interference, potentially involving Qatar and Turkey, intended to influence voter mobilisation in Arab communities.
Supreme court justice Noam Sohlberg, chairman of the Central Elections Committee, instructed Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate what he described as “serious suspicions” of improper foreign influence.
The agency said its intelligence originated independently of political parties and that the investigation was limited in scope. Both Qatar and Turkey have denied any involvement.
The allegations emerged after Arab parties secured a projected record 19 Knesset seats amid exceptionally high turnout.
Police said every complaint concerning election integrity would be investigated “thoroughly and impartially”.
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