Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas denied on Thursday allegations of involvement in an alleged election interference scheme via Qatar, apparently backing the launch of an investigation into the matter.
"Ra'am welcomes the decision of Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg to investigate suspicions of an attempt to improperly influence the elections through foreign funding," said Abbas.
He jabbed: "And to Abu Yair [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], who employs Qatari agents in his office, we have one message in response to the campaign of incitement and delegitimization he is conducting against Arab citizens: 'There will be nothing, because there is nothing.' Unlike you, with us this is the truth and not another lie."
The Shin Bet launched an investigation following a directive issued by Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, citing "severe suspicions... regarding improper influence through foreign funding by entities acting against Israeli interests during the elections."
The investigation is examining alleged funding channels, including suspected links to networks previously associated with terrorist organizations, as well as reports of envelopes containing cash and voting slips for the Ra’am party being intercepted.
Suspected sources of funds, which have allegedly utilized channels linked to terrorist organizations, include Qatar and Turkey, according to preliminary Shin Bet investigations.
Herzog: Israeli democracy at stake
President Isaac Herzog called on Thursday for a full investigation into election interference allegations, while warning against the threat of delegitimizing the voting process.
"This is a sensitive moment, and let me make things clear: election integrity is a supreme democratic value. The evidence and suspicions must be fully investigated, and perpetrators must be interrogated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the president said in an address.
At the same time, Herzog warned against painting an entire demographic with a broad brush, "Even at a moment like this, we must avoid tarnishing an entire public that sought to exercise its right to vote and take an active part in democracy."
Eisenkot: Netanyahu accustomed to spreading chaos, engineering narratives
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said he is in contact with the relevant officials about the situation.
"The State of Israel must do everything in its power to protect the integrity of the elections against any attempt at interference, political spin, or manipulation, and thoroughly investigate every complaint," a spokesperson for Eisenkot wrote in a statement.
"At the same time, political actors must not be allowed to exploit the situation to influence the date of the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset."
Later, Eisenkot issued a statement with a tongue-in-cheek criticism aimed at the prime minister. "I welcome the fact that Netanyahu is finally condemning Qatari involvement in the State of Israel."
He reiterated the importance of a full and thorough investigation of the allegations while questioning the source and purpose of the allegations.
"Netanyahu, who has grown accustomed to dealing with reality through lies, narrative engineering, and spreading chaos, is leading an improper influence operation on the Israeli public together with his partners. Their aim is to delay the publication of the election results on time and create fictitious delegitimization of the 26th Knesset's activities.
"The attempt to exploit uninvestigated information whose details and scope of suspicion have yet to be clarified in order to undermine official election results in which the Israeli public voted against the government of failure is completely unacceptable and must be rejected outright."
Opposition leaders react to shaken election integrity
Former prime minister and B'Yachad party Chairman Naftali Bennett released a statement in response to the reports of Qatari election interference.
"I fully trust Shin Bet Chief David Zini and Elections Committee Chairman Justice Sohlberg to quickly and thoroughly complete the examination into suspected improper interference in the electoral process. At the same time, I am unimpressed by the panic-mongering cries of Netanyahu and his mouthpieces," he said.
"Everyone knows that for a long time I repeatedly demanded that Netanyahu declare Qatar an enemy state, and time and again he refused and chose instead to whitewash it. Up until this very moment, he continues to employ advisors in his office who have already been proven to have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Qatar during the massacre and the war, acting from within his office to promote Qatari interests.
"This morning, suddenly, when it serves his interests, Netanyahu remembers Qatar and uses it to sow chaos and undermine public trust in the democratic process."
Bennett then called on Israel's security apparatus to investigate the incident and "uncover the truth."
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman called for a full investigation into the matter.
"The suspicion of election interference using foreign Islamist money is a testing ground for the State of Israel. The leaders of the Arab parties must be investigated by the Shin Bet today. The State of Israel will not be sold to radical Islam with terror funds."
Democrats party chairman Yair Golan accused Likud of weaponizing state institutions and concocting the controversy for political gain.
"Netanyahu is trying to challenge the election results through an ugly delegitimization campaign against the will of the public, and against the Arab public in particular."
"Any real suspicion of harming the purity of the elections must be investigated to the fullest, and we must not forget - the most serious Qatari betrayal and involvement took place in Netanyahu's office," he added.
"We are still waiting for Urich to be fired. Until then, Netanyahu will continue to bark. We will continue to work. The public fired him. We will make sure that he vacates the chair."
Coalition calls for investigation, arrest over Knesset 'terrorist incident'
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the arrest of Arab party leaders after the Central Elections Committee called on the Shin Bet to investigate allegations of foreign interference in Israel's election.
"The Shin Bet should order the arrest of the leaders of the Arab parties suspected of involvement with Qatari funds as early as this morning, along with all other suspects in the case, including figures within the Muslim Brotherhood and their offshoots, provided there is a legal basis for their arrest," he wrote.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the suspected interference "using foreign Islamist money" a "testing ground for the State of Israel."
He called for an immediate investigation into the leadership of Arab parties, saying, "The State of Israel will not be sold to radical Islam with terror funds."
Transportation Minister Miri Regev called the alleged incident a "terror event intended to seize control of the Israeli Knesset and, afterward, the State of Israel," and an attempt to topple "right-wing rule and replace Prime Minister Netanyahu."
After the allegations broke out, United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher attacked secular Israeli society.
"You got confused. We, who are loyal to the Jewish people and its Torah, you turned [us] into enemies, while on the other side suspicions are being exposed of buying votes with funds from enemy states. 'Covenant of the servants, ' you called it? You probably forgot to ask who they are serving," he wrote.