PM's son calls Israeli Arabs a major threat; police probe bribery claims

Yair Netanyahu, the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, posted a message on his X account on Friday. He stated that the results of the 26th Knesset elections demonstrated that Israeli Arabs pose the greatest danger to Israel's survival, second only to the Iranian nuclear program.

In the post, Yair Netanyahu argued that this domestic threat outweighs risks from Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Turkey, and Western antisemitism. He wrote that a country cannot endure when 20 percent of its population identifies with its enemies and desires its destruction. The post, which drew immediate reactions from political figures, described France as collapsing due to its Muslim population and characterized Islam as a political ideology rather than just a religion.

The remarks follow a sequence of events in the days leading up to the current political climate. On Friday, Yair Netanyahu published the statement. Simultaneously, the Mossad confirmed it had joined an investigation into suspected foreign meddling in the elections. The intelligence agency said it would assist the Shin Bet in areas within its responsibility.

Authorities are examining whether Qatar facilitated payments to the apparatus of the Joint List. The Central Elections Committee's acting director-general, Adv. Dean Livne, stated that the investigation began after classified intelligence was presented to Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg. Livne clarified that the inquiry is not focused on a specific sector and that the suspicions are not expected to change the election outcomes.

A separate police investigation is underway regarding suspected bribery among Ra'am activists. Seven suspects have been arrested in this matter. Likud officials claim the elections were stolen through criminal offenses at polling stations in Arab society, including bribery, intimidation, and fraud. The party said it has sent materials to the police, the Shin Bet, and the Central Elections Committee.

The police noted that the bribery probe and the foreign interference inquiry are distinct matters. In response to Likud's allegations, Mayor Talal al-Krenawi of Rahat told Walla that the claims were a lie and incitement against Bedouins. He stated that his residents voted with ID cards for the first time in history and called the process the cleanest he had seen. Al-Krenawi added that if the party did not want Arabs to vote, it should say so instead of accusing them of stealing the election.

MK Ahmad Tibi reacted to Yair Netanyahu's post by calling him a racist and uncouth. Tibi noted that while the Prime Minister's son tweets from Miami, Arabs in Israel work for a dignified living. He said he will continue to pursue cooperation and equal rights while working to change the reality created by the senior Netanyahu. Tibi predicted that in a potential second round of voting, supporters would turn out in greater numbers and with more determination.

Public relations consultant Rani Rahav also addressed the Prime Minister directly. Rahav attached a video from 2016 to his post, in which Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for comments about Arab voters flocking to the polls. In that 2016 clip, the Prime Minister said he wanted Arab boys and girls to grow up knowing they could achieve anything in Israel as citizens with equal rights. Rahav asked the Prime Minister to recall his previous statements on the same topic.

The political dispute continues as the investigations proceed. The Mossad and Shin Bet are coordinating their efforts regarding the Qatari interference suspicion. The police continue to process the seven arrested suspects in the bribery case. Likud has formally submitted its evidence to the relevant authorities for review. The Central Elections Committee maintains that the current findings do not alter the validity of the recent vote.