Elections chair orders Shin Bet probe into suspected foreign funding of Arab-sector turnout
Justice Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the Central Elections Committee, asked Shin Bet to investigate suspected foreign funding aimed at influencing Tuesday's Knesset election. Channel 12 reported the suspicions concern Qatar and Arab-sector turnout; the letter itself names no actor.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Right · 1Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg instructed Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate information about foreign funding intended to skew Israel's elections. The Jerusalem PostRC “Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg instructed Shin Bet Chief David Zini to investigate information regarding foreign funding intended to skew the elections in Israel.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 1According to a letter published by Channel 12 News on Thursday, Sohlberg, who is Deputy President of the Supreme Court, gave the instruction on Wednesday and asked for an inquiry into suspected foreign funding and election bribery in Tuesday's Knesset election. JNSR “instructed Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) head David Zini on Wednesday to investigate suspected foreign funding and election bribery in Tuesday's Knesset election, according to a letter published by Channel 12 News on Thursday.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 1The Jerusalem Post says the probe centres on suspicions that large sums were funnelled by Arab entities to unlawfully boost Arab-sector turnout. The Jerusalem PostRC “The probe centers on suspicions that large sums of money were funneled by Arab entities to unlawfully boost voter turnout in the Arab sector.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗
Right · 1In the letter, Sohlberg wrote that "serious suspicions have been brought before me of improper influence, through foreign funding by external actors acting against the Israeli interest," while adding that he could not attest to their nature. JNSR ““Serious suspicions have been brought before me of improper influence, through foreign funding by external actors acting against the Israeli interest, on the elections,” Sohlberg wrote.”““I cannot attest to the nature of the aforementioned suspicions,”” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 1He told the Shin Bet to find evidence to substantiate or refute the suspicions, saying this was the only way to ensure public trust in the election process, and asked for findings within a week because of legal deadlines for election appeals. JNSR ““to locate evidence to substantiate the aforementioned suspicions or to refute them.””“Citing the legal deadlines for filing election appeals, Sohlberg asked Zini to present any findings within a week.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 1The letter does not name the foreign actor, but Channel 12 reported that the suspicions concern Qatar, with large sums allegedly flowing from Doha to illegally boost Arab-sector turnout; this is not independently confirmed in the coverage. JNSR “The letter does not name the foreign actor, but Channel 12 reported that the suspicions concern Qatar.”“According to the report, large sums allegedly flowed from Doha to illegally boost voter turnout in the Arab sector.” Read at JNS ↗
Right · 1Separately, on Wednesday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party accused Arab parties of stealing the election through widespread fraud and called for a police and Shin Bet investigation, alleging that envelopes of cash and United Arab List (Ra'am) ballots were handed out at polling stations in Arab communities, plus identity fraud and ballot-count discrepancies. JNSR “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party on Wednesday accused Arab parties of stealing the election through widespread fraud and called for a police and Shin Bet investigation.”“The party alleged that thousands of envelopes containing cash and United Arab List (Ra'am Party) ballots were handed out at polling stations in Arab communities.” Read at JNS ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the probe as a response to suspected foreign money used to boost Arab-sector turnout; JNS adds the Qatar report and Likud's fraud allegations.
- Emphasis
- The Arab-sector turnout funding suspicion and, in JNS, the Qatar link and Likud's call for an investigation.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports any response from Arab parties, Qatar or Shin Bet, or any evidence for the suspicions; Sohlberg's statement that he cannot attest to their nature appears only in JNS.
- Charged language
- “stealing the election”“foreign influence”
- For example
-
“The probe centers on suspicions that large sums of money were funneled by Arab entities to unlawfully boost voter turnout in the Arab sector.” — The Jerusalem Post
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party on Wednesday accused Arab parties of stealing the election through widespread fraud and called for a police and Shin Bet investigation.” — JNS
What every side reports
- Sohlberg, chair of the Central Elections Committee, instructed Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate suspected foreign funding affecting the election.
- The suspicions relate to boosting voter turnout in the Arab sector.
Where accounts differ
-
Who the alleged funder is
- Right
- The Jerusalem Post refers to 'Arab entities'; JNS says the letter names no actor and cites Channel 12 saying the suspicions concern Qatar.
Noam Sohlberg person
Sohlberg says serious suspicions of improper foreign funding were brought to him, that he cannot attest to their nature, and that they must be investigated to protect public trust.
“Only in this way can we ensure public trust in the election process,” he wrote.” — JNS
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
-
JNSR ·
Israeli elections chief orders Shin Bet probe of foreign influence on vote
Neutral Detailed report quoting the letter, noting it names no actor, relaying Channel 12's Qatar report and Likud's fraud claims.
-
Elections chief Sohlberg orders Shin Bet probe into suspected election interference
Neutral Brief report of the order, stating the suspicion as being about Arab entities funding Arab-sector turnout.
- 29 Oct 07:34 First The Jerusalem PostRC Elections chief Sohlberg orders Shin Bet probe into suspected election interference
- 29 Oct 08:09 +35m JNSR Israeli elections chief orders Shin Bet probe of foreign influence on vote
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…