The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police arrested senior Balad activist Abd Abu Shahada in Jaffa on Wednesday over suspected security offenses.
Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of Balad, one of the parties comprising the Joint List, condemned the arrest as a “grave crime,” alleging it to be part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to hijack the elections.
“Netanyahu and his associates are intensifying their attempts to steal the election,” Abu Shehadeh said. “Last night, the police and the Shin Bet abducted journalist Abd Abu Shahada from his home. The forces refused to present an arrest warrant, seized belongings without providing an inventory, and continue to withhold any information about his whereabouts."
"Abd’s arrest is part of a broader campaign of arrests, interrogations and threats against political activists, designed to undermine the election results through the weaponization of the police and the Shin Bet," Shehadeh wrote. "None of this will change one simple fact: Netanyahu lost the election, thanks to Arab citizens who turned out in massive numbers and kicked him out."
Police on Wednesday placed a three-day gag order on the investigation. No connection between the arrest and the investigations into suspected election interference had been publicly established.
"This morning, it was reported that 15 members of the Shin Bet and the police raided the home of journalist Abd Abu Shahadeh, head of the Islamic Council in Jaffa, and arrested him in front of his two children," the Joint List said in an afternoon X post.
"They are refusing to disclose why Abd was arrested," the party wrote. "Throughout the night, they even denied that he had been detained, and since then they have prevented him from contacting his lawyer and his family."
"Abd’s arrest is another step in the reckless and racist campaign of persecution against Arab citizens, the Joint List, and elected Arab representatives, a campaign originating from the office of the blood-soaked prime minister. This is a grave and dangerous move that undermines the results of the elections and the very foundations of democracy."
The Joint List affirmed it would "not be intimidated, and we will not allow them to steal the elections as well. We will not let this happen."
"We will not remain silent, we will not be intimidated, and we will not surrender. We have an opportunity to remove these criminals from power, and now is the time."
Arrest comes amid escalating dispute over Arab votes
The arrest comes amid an escalating political dispute over Arab voters’ role in the election outcome. Likud has challenged the legitimacy of the results, while the Shin Bet has sought to question senior Arab political figures. The Joint List has accused Netanyahu and Shin Bet chief David Zini of treating Arab electoral participation and representation as a security threat.
The announcement came as the Central Elections Committee approved results giving Netanyahu’s coalition parties 53 seats, the opposition bloc 48, and the Arab parties 19. Neither of the two competing blocs secured the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority.
Earlier on Wednesday, the committee said its review had found no irregularities or findings indicating that election integrity had been compromised or that the results would change. It said corrections had been made where necessary, based on voting records and materials.
Last week, committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg instructed Zini to investigate suspicions of improper foreign funding and election bribery by foreign actors. Sohlberg stressed that he could not assess the merits of the suspicions and asked the agency to obtain evidence to substantiate or refute them.
A separate police investigation concerns alleged vote-buying for Ra’am. Police arrested three men on Election Day, October 27, saying searches had uncovered cash-filled envelopes and Ra’am ballot slips. Four more suspects were arrested two days later.
By Tuesday, six of the seven suspects were out of police custody, although some remained under house arrest, following the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court’s order to release Hussein Masoudin. Ibrahim al-Garibi’s detention had been extended until Wednesday following a police appeal.
The foreign-interference investigation has meanwhile prompted a public dispute between Zini and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara over the evidentiary basis for questioning senior Arab political figures.
According to Channel 13, Zini sought to question Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas, Ta’al chairman Ahmad Tibi and Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh under caution as suspects.
A-G's office accuses Shin Bet of failing to transfer investigative materials
Baharav-Miara’s office said Tuesday that citizens and elected officials could not be investigated without evidence justifying such action. It said anyone who needed to be questioned would be questioned, but that an evidentiary basis was required.
Her office also accused the Shin Bet of failing for two days to transfer investigative material to the joint investigative team established on Sohlberg’s recommendation, involving police and accompanied by prosecutors, thereby delaying the investigation.
Likud accused Baharav-Miara of obstructing the inquiry. Abbas rejected attempts to tarnish the Arab public and said he and his party colleagues were willing to appear before law-enforcement authorities in accordance with the attorney-general’s and judicial system’s instructions.
Hodaya Ran contributed to this report.