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Shin Bet Ordered to Probe Qatar Election Interference Claims

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Majed al-Ansari denied Qatar interfered in Israel’s elections, calling the claim ridiculous.
He called the allegation a dangerous disinformation campaign, accusing Israeli politicians of scapegoating Qatar.
Election committee chair Noam Sohlberg ordered Shin Bet to probe suspected foreign interference favoring Arab parties.
No bloc reached the 61-seat majority, leaving Arab lawmakers pivotal in government formation.
Al-Ansari said any new Israeli government must respect UN resolutions and support a 1967-border Palestinian state.

History

After U.S. intelligence concluded that President Vladimir Putin ordered a sweeping 2016 influence campaign—hacking the DNC and deploying the Internet Research Agency’s thousands of fake accounts—Congress and a special-counsel probe led to indictments of 26 Russian citizens and three organizations. The episode spurred global scrutiny, prompting Israel’s Election Committee in 2024 to consider tighter foreign-influence rules amid Qatar-related allegations.

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After U.S. intelligence concluded that President Vladimir Putin ordered a sweeping 2016 influence campaign—hacking the DNC and deploying the Internet Research Agency’s thousands of fake accounts—Congress and a special-counsel probe led to indictments of 26 Russian citizens and three organizations. The episode spurred global scrutiny, prompting Israel’s Election Committee in 2024 to consider tighter foreign-influence rules amid Qatar-related allegations.

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