Netanyahu accused of coup attempt after election defeat
Jerusalem – Israeli politicians, journalists, and commentators have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting a coup following his defeat in last week’s national election. Critics allege that Netanyahu is leveraging the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, to undermine the electoral outcome and retain power. More than a week after exit polls indicated that the bloc led by Netanyahu trailed the opposition, reports emerged that Shin Bet chief David Zini was spearheading investigations into the voting patterns of Palestinian citizens of Israel. These inquiries have raised allegations of voting fraud, bribery, and foreign interference, although no concrete evidence has been made public.
The investigations coincide with a political campaign by Netanyahu to delegitimize parties led by Palestinian citizens, specifically Ra’am and the Joint List, which together secured an unprecedented 19 seats in the Knesset. Opponents argue this effort is designed to invalidate their mandate and keep Netanyahu in office. On Tuesday, the Shin Bet arrested Abd Abu Shahadeh, a contributor to Middle East Eye, citing a security-related investigation. Israeli media reported that Zini also intends to question prominent Palestinian political leaders, including Ahmad Tibi, Sami Abou Shahadeh, Mansour Abbas, and Ayman Odeh.
Yair Golan, leader of the opposition Democrats party, warned on Wednesday that Israeli democracy was under direct threat. He stated that police were detaining political activists without warrants and that the Shin Bet was attempting to question senior elected officials without presenting evidence. Golan later explicitly accused Netanyahu of trying to carry out a coup and seize power by force. Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid made similar accusations on Tuesday, claiming Netanyahu was attempting to crush democracy and steal the elections with the help of sleeper agents within the security establishment, a clear reference to Zini, who was appointed head of the Shin Bet by Netanyahu.
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition bloc, described the situation as an organized attempt to sabotage Israeli democracy through incitement to violence against elected officials and the dismantling of law enforcement agencies. Journalists from major outlets such as Haaretz and Calcalist have echoed these concerns. Amos Harel of Haaretz wrote that Netanyahu and his collaborators are driving Israel into its most critical constitutional crisis, employing tactics familiar from dark regimes. Moshe Gorali of Calcalist argued that refusing to recognize election results constitutes a significant escalation following a dictatorial-fascist protocol.
Despite the Central Elections Committee formally handing the election results to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday and dismissing allegations of widespread fraud, the Shin Bet continued its inquiries. A source familiar with the investigations told Ynet that the probes lacked basic evidence, stating that Zini appeared unaware of his legal boundaries. Law enforcement sources criticized Zini for throwing out names without proof and echoing Likud talking points, suggesting his position should be questioned if the investigations yield no results. Reports indicate that more than 1,000 allegations were examined, none of which were found credible, and that most investigations were launched only after it became clear Netanyahu had lost.
This report was produced in the Europe Brief News newsroom.
