«Qatari Trail» in the Israeli Elections: Foreign Money, Shabak, and the Threat of New Elections

The elections in Israel on October 27, 2026, ended without an obvious winner, but within a day the country faced a new political crisis. The chairman of the Central Election Commission, Supreme Court Judge Noam Solberg, demanded that the Shin Bet investigate suspicions of foreign funding aimed at illegally influencing the vote. Israeli media publications mention Qatar, and the alleged money flows are linked to financial channels previously used to finance terrorism.

Author: Alexander Khmelnitsky

If the suspicions are confirmed, the consequences could extend far beyond a criminal case. Certain voting results, coalition prospects, and Israel's relations with regional states will be in question.
What is known about the money and the Shin Bet investigation

On October 28, 2026, Solberg sent an official letter to Shin Bet head David Zini demanding to verify information about foreign interference. According to i24NEWS, before this, Zini presented the CEC chairman with intelligence characterized as exceptionally serious.

Solberg demanded to report the results of the check within a week. At the same time, he emphasized that he cannot yet confirm the reliability of the received…

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