Shin Bet Seeks to Question Tibi, Abbas, Abu Shehadeh

Shin Bet chief Zini wants to question four senior politicians from Arab parties under caution as criminal suspects, Amit Segal reported. The four are Ta'al chairman Ahmad Tibi, Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas, Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, and a senior Knesset member who has not been named.

Significant evidence reportedly exists against the unnamed lawmaker, who is the only one of the four whose file has gone through the full review process so far.

The Attorney General has insisted on examining the evidence before signing off on any questioning. That review has been completed only in the case of the unnamed MK. No such review has yet taken place for Tibi, Abbas or Abu Shehadeh.

The investigation has also stalled at a procedural stage. The Shin Bet and the police agreed to form a joint investigative team. Two days after that agreement, the Shin Bet still had not handed its materials over to the police, delaying the probe.

The Shin Bet, the police and the Attorney General's Office have all declined to comment.

On November 3, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara clashed with Likud over a Shin Bet and police investigation into suspected foreign interference in Israeli elections. Likud accused her of trying to delay the probe and of blocking the questioning of Arab party MKs and their aides. Her office rejected the charge as false and stated that significant investigative steps had already been approved. "Everyone who needs to be questioned will be," Baharav-Miara declared.

Abu Shehadeh resigned from the Knesset on October 1 after the High Court signaled that it would disqualify him over an article he published on October 8 praising the Hamas massacre.

Further updates to follow.