Likud alleges 'foreign election interference' after report on Netanyahu's pre–Oct. 7th warning

Israel’s ruling Likud party has called for a criminal investigation into journalists, opposition politicians and the newspaper Haaretz, alleging that 'foreign actors' helped promote a report about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s conduct before the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.

The controversy began after Haaretz journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval reported that Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Netanyahu shortly before the attack that Hamas was planning a major operation. According to the report, Netanyahu did not relay the alleged warning to Israel’s security chiefs.

Netanyahu’s office has categorically denied that he received such a warning. Netanyahu has also said he intends to sue Haaretz and Eldar for defamation. The newspaper and its reporters say their investigation is based on numerous sources, documents and other materials.

In a sharply worded response, Likud claimed that “the real affair” was foreign interference in Israel’s election. The party alleged that senior Palestinian political figure Mohammed Dahlan, who lives in the United Arab Emirates, was behind information provided to the reporters.

Likud further asserted that Dahlan wants to replace Netanyahu’s right-wing government with an opposition coalition that would withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza, enabling him to take control of the territory.

It linked that alleged objective to opposition figures Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan and Avigdor Lieberman, as well as Israel’s Arab parties.

The party also alleged that Eldar received funding from a left-wing organization connected to Golan’s Democrats party to disseminate the report.

Likud additionally raised questions about what it described as a secret visit to the UAE by Golan and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar approximately two months ago. The party asked whether the alleged visit was connected to the Haaretz publication but did not provide evidence demonstrating such a link.

Likud called for an investigation into Eldar, Yuval, Haaretz, Golan and the Democrats, citing suspected cooperation with foreign actors to influence the election. A demand for an investigation does not itself establish criminal wrongdoing, and the allegations remain unproven unless supported by evidence and examined by the appropriate authorities