Ben-Gvir demands immediate arrests in probe of Arab party funding

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wants Arab party leaders in handcuffs.

Ben-Gvir issued a written statement on Wednesday calling for the arrest of suspected figures involved with Qatari funds. He asked the Shin Bet to move quickly, targeting suspects as early as that morning. His request extends to members of the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots, provided a legal basis exists for their detention.

The probe began after Justice Noam Sohlberg, chairman of the Central Elections Committee, directed the Shin Bet to investigate. Sohlberg cited severe suspicions of improper influence from foreign entities acting against Israeli interests. Investigators are now tracing funding channels linked to networks previously associated with terrorist groups. Preliminary inquiries point to Qatar and Turkey as possible sources of the money. Officials also examined reports of intercepted envelopes containing cash and voting slips for the Ra'am party.

Political leaders are split on how to handle the situation. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said he is coordinating with officials to protect the integrity of the vote. A spokesperson for Eisenkot warned against using the case to change the swearing-in date for the 26th Knesset. Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu called the situation a testing ground for the state. He argued that the state will not be sold to radical Islam with terror funds.

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, offered a contrasting view. He accused the Likud of weaponizing state institutions for political gain. Golan claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is delegitimizing the election results, specifically targeting the Arab public. He noted that any real suspicion must be investigated, but he pointed out that the most serious Qatari involvement occurred in Netanyahu's office.

Coalition members echoed Liberman's concerns. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for an immediate investigation into Arab party leadership. Transportation Minister Miri Regev described the incident as a terror event aimed at seizing control of the Knesset. United Torah Judaism chairman Yaakov Asher criticized secular society for treating loyal Jews as enemies while vote buying with foreign funds emerged.

The Shin Bet continues to examine the specific funding channels and the role of the intercepted voting slips. The investigation remains active as officials review the evidence.