Netanyahu accused of attempting coup after election defeat

Netanyahu accused of attempting ‘coup’ after election defeat

Israeli politicians and commentators have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting a coup after his election defeat on Oct. 27, which followed a historic turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

They say he is using the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, to undermine the result and retain power.

More than a week after the results showed the Netanyahu-led bloc trailing the opposition, Shin Bet chief David Zini is reportedly leading investigations into the Palestinian vote. The inquiries have raised allegations of voting fraud, bribery and foreign interference, despite no evidence being made public.

The investigations coincide with Netanyahu’s campaign to delegitimize the Palestinian-led parties Ra’am and the Joint List, which together secured an unprecedented 19 seats in the Knesset. Critics say the effort is aimed at keeping him in power.

On Tuesday, the Shin Bet arrested Middle East Eye contributor Abd Abu Shahadeh, citing a “security-related investigation”. Israeli media reported that Zini also wants Palestinian political leaders Ahmad Tibi, Sami Abou Shahadeh, Mansour Abbas and Ayman Odeh questioned.

Yair Golan, leader of the opposition Democrats party, warned on Wednesday that Israeli democracy was under threat.

“The police are detaining political activists without a warrant. The Shin Bet is trying to question senior elected officials without presenting evidence. The outgoing government refuses to recognize the election results,” he said.

Golan later accused Netanyahu of trying to “carry out a coup and seize power by force”.

Former prime minister Yair Lapid made a similar accusation on Tuesday, saying Netanyahu was attempting “to crush democracy and steal the elections with the help of sleeper agents of the regime in the security establishment”, an apparent reference to Zini, who was appointed as head of Shin Bet by Netanyahu.

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition bloc, was more measured. He accused Netanyahu of leading “an organized attempt” to “sabotage Israeli democracy” through incitement to violence against elected officials and in the streets, as well as the dismantling of law enforcement agencies.

Israeli journalists and commentators have also accused Netanyahu of mounting an assault on democracy, describing his actions as an attempted coup.

“The prime minister, his circle, and his collaborators in the security branches and the media outlets are energetically driving Israel into the most critical constitutional crisis in its history,” Haaretz journalist Amos Harel wrote on Wednesday.

Netanyahu was attempting a “regime coup”, Harel said, using tactics familiar from “the playbooks of dark regimes”. He cited the use of the secret service, incitement against minorities, threats of violence and refusal to recognize election results.

An opinion piece in Calcalist, a mainstream Israeli financial news outlet, levelled similar accusations against Netanyahu and the Shin Bet.

“Refusing to recognize the election results is a significant escalation,” journalist Moshe Gorali wrote, arguing that the government was following a “familiar dictatorial-fascist protocol” by using a loyal intelligence service to overturn the outcome of an election.

Ynet journalist Ronen Bergman said Israel was “in the midst of a coup attempt”.

source: tehrantimes.com