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By Bernard Moerdler,
The Shin Bet said the intelligence behind its investigation into suspected foreign interference in the election came from its own intelligence collection under its legal mandate, and was not supplied by any political party or political body.
The agency said its investigation remains unfinished. It cautioned that statements about the content or nature of the suspicions do not represent the Shin Bet's position and should have been avoided.
According to the Shin Bet, no one outside the agency, apart from Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, had access to the information before the election ended. It said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid were briefed in the past 24 hours, with Sohlberg's approval and at his request.
The agency stressed that the investigation is narrowly focused on those involved in suspected wrongdoing and does not cast suspicion on an entire community that voted democratically and lawfully. It said action would be taken only against those who broke the law.
The Shin Bet said the full findings will be presented to the Elections Committee when the investigation concludes, transparently and without interpretation. It identified Sohlberg as the authority responsible for decisions on the matter.
Topics: Israeli Politics
Reported by Bernard Moerdler for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.