Attorney general rebukes Shin Bet chief over bid to question Arab party leaders

Update, 4 November, 01:07 Israel time

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has publicly rebuked Shin Bet chief David Zini over his bid to question the Arab party leaders. The Times of Israel reported that the attorney general accused Zini of subverting democratic norms, describing the criticism as a rare public censure of the head of the security service. The available text of the report does not give her full statement or say how it was delivered.

Barak Ravid of Axios, relaying the report by i24NEWS correspondent Avishai Grinzaig, wrote that the investigation materials contain no evidence against three of the senior Arab party figures Zini wants to question, naming them as Ahmad Tibi, Mansour Abbas and Sami Abu Shehadeh. Ravid added that, regarding the fourth, unnamed lawmaker, there is information that he received money.

There has still been no reported response from the Shin Bet to the attorney general's criticism, and none from the four politicians.

The story as first reported

The head of Israel's Shin Bet security service, David Zini, is seeking to question four senior politicians from the country's Arab parties as suspects in a case of alleged interference in the Knesset election, according to a report first aired by the Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS and picked up by several other outlets. Those named are Ta'al chairman Ahmad Tibi, Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas and Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh. The fourth is a senior lawmaker whose identity is barred from publication.

The Times of Israel, citing i24NEWS, reported that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has asked to see the evidence before deciding whether to approve the interrogations, and that the Shin Bet has so far handed it over only in the case of the unnamed lawmaker. Ynet carried the report under the framing that it came without evidence being presented for the three named party leaders.

What the Shin Bet and the attorney general do

The Shin Bet, also known as the Israel Security Agency, is the country's domestic security and counterintelligence service. Criminal investigations are normally carried out by the Israel Police. Questioning someone "under caution" means questioning them as a suspect, with a formal warning that what they say may be used against them. According to the reports, the attorney general, who heads the government's legal system and the prosecution, wants the evidence in hand before giving her approval to question sitting members of the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Who the four politicians are

Tibi leads Ta'al, Abbas leads Ra'am, also known as the United Arab List, and Abu Shehadeh leads Balad. All three are parties drawing their support mainly from Arab citizens of Israel. The Times of Israel noted that Abu Shehadeh was disqualified from standing in last week's election, and described the fourth, unnamed politician as a senior Joint List lawmaker. Other outlets referred to him only as a senior member of the Arab parties.

On that lawmaker, the reports describe a different picture. Journalist Amit Segal, relaying the i24NEWS report, wrote that there is agreement across the board that significant evidence exists against him, and that he is expected to be questioned as a suspect even though he cannot legally be named for now.

The dispute over passing evidence to police

Haaretz reported that Zini is declining to give police the evidence of foreign influence and of money transferred to an Arab Israeli lawmaker, contrary to directives from the election committee. The Times of Israel likewise reported that the Shin Bet has not yet given police the material, although the agency and the police had agreed two days earlier to form a joint team. News.co.il reported that because the material has not been transferred, the investigation itself has not yet started.

The accounts are not identical on this point. The Times of Israel says evidence concerning the unnamed lawmaker has reached the attorney general, while Haaretz says evidence concerning a lawmaker has not been passed to police. The reports do not make clear whether these refer to the same material.

A push to treat the case as a security matter

Ynet linked the report to its own earlier story that Zini wants the election investigation classified as a suspected security offence. According to Ynet, such a classification would let the Shin Bet use broader powers, such as preventing a suspect from meeting a lawyer. The reports do not say whether that request has been accepted.

Segal also described what he called an awkward moment at a meeting where Zini began a sentence saying the agency would ask to question others as well; the available text of his post breaks off before saying who.

Reactions so far

N12 reported that a letter was sent in response to the i24NEWS report, without the available text stating who wrote it or what it said. None of the reports carries a response from Tibi, Abbas, Abu Shehadeh or the unnamed lawmaker.

What the reports do not say

• What evidence, if any, the Shin Bet holds against Tibi, Abbas and Abu Shehadeh, and why it has not been handed over.
• Whether the attorney general will approve any of the interrogations, and when.
• Any public statement from the Shin Bet, the attorney general or the four politicians.
• The author and content of the letter N12 referred to.
• What the alleged foreign influence consisted of and where the funds are said to have come from.