Ben Gvir demands the arrest of the heads of Arab parties in Israel, and Qatar denies interference

Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir called for the arrest of Arab party leaders in Israel, based on unproven accusations of receiving Qatari funding, after their parties achieved record results that may give them a decisive role in forming the government.

Majid Al-Ansari, spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a post on X that Doha rejects what was said about its interference in the Israeli elections or financing activities with the aim of influencing their results. This came in response to accusations that the spokesman said were being promoted by some Israeli politicians and media parties linked to them, as part of a new disinformation campaign aimed at inserting its name into internal political disputes in Israel.

The head of the United Arab List, Mansour Abbas, confirmed on Thursday that the list has nothing to do with allegations related to electoral fraud and receiving sums of money from a foreign party, stressing that he welcomes the investigations and is ready to cooperate to uncover the truth. Abbas said, according to a statement issued by his office, a copy of which was received by Agence France-Presse, that the Unified Arab List does not have any connection to the aforementioned case or to any other issues, and we affirm that we will fully cooperate with all law enforcement authorities to uncover the truth.

The far-right Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, called on Thursday for the arrest of Arab party leaders, after their parties achieved record results in the legislative elections, based on unproven accusations of receiving foreign funding. Ben Gvir wrote on the X platform that the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet) must order, as of this morning, the arrest of the heads of Arab parties suspected of involvement in the Qatari funds case.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Wednesday that he hopes that the Israeli government that will be formed after the legislative elections will make a radical change and respect international law. After counting about 85 percent of the votes, the Likud Party (right) led by Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies obtained 54 seats, compared to 49 for the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot. Neither camp obtained the 61 seats needed for a majority in Parliament.

A statement issued by the Likud Party, on Wednesday evening, stated that the electoral process witnessed serious violations and criminal violations in many polling stations, which included - according to its allegations - offering bribes, rigging votes, and practicing intimidation and violence against members of the electoral committees. The party called on the security and judicial services to deal seriously with the documents it submitted, and to immediately initiate an investigation that guarantees the integrity of the results and the democratic process.