❗️️️️Israeli Shin Bet chief pushes investigation into Palestinian lawmakers without evidence Israeli Shin Bet chief David Zini is pushing for an investigation into Palestinian political leaders over alleged foreign interference in Israel's 27 October election while refusing to hand over supporting evidence to police and prosecutors, Haaretz reported on 3 November. Zini has demanded that United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas, Ta'al leader Ahmad Tibi, Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh, and another unnamed Palestinian lawmaker be questioned under caution, despite authorities having received no substantiated evidence against them. According to Haaretz, Zini claims that foreign funding was transferred to Palestinian parties in the Knesset and used to distribute fuel vouchers to voters. However, during a meeting with election officials, the intelligence he presented reportedly consisted of unverified hearsay and photographs circulating on social media. Zini also sought to classify the allegations as security offenses, potentially allowing the Shin Bet to deploy extraordinary investigative measures, including denying suspects access to lawyers. Justice Ministry officials, police investigators, and Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg rejected his approach, insisting that any investigation must follow established legal procedures. Despite an agreement to establish a joint Shin Bet-police investigation team under prosecutorial supervision, Zini has refused to transfer the relevant materials and has reportedly attempted to bypass Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Senior law enforcement officials sharply condemned his conduct, with one describing his theory as "completely baseless" and others likening his approach to a "North Korean dictatorship." Baharav-Miara confirmed that the Shin Bet had failed to provide the requested evidence, while Sohlberg insisted that the election results would be published as scheduled on 4 November. Palestinian political parties denounced the investigation push as an attempt to delegitimize their electoral gains and undermine the votes of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. The Joint List accused Zini, a Netanyahu appointee, of serving the prime minister's political interests, declaring that it would not allow Palestinian votes to be treated as a security threat. Opposition leaders also condemned the move, with Yair Lapid accusing Netanyahu loyalists of attempting to "crush democracy and steal the election." Netanyahu's Likud party, meanwhile, accused the attorney general of obstructing a legitimate security investigation, allegations she rejected. The investigation comes after Palestinian parties secured a historic 19 seats in Israel's 120-member Knesset in the 27 October election, emerging as a potentially decisive force in determining the next government and threatening Netanyahu's hold on power.