Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Director David Zini sought to expand the investigation into suspected foreign funding and interference in the elections for the 26th Knesset to include questioning five Arab party leaders under caution as criminal suspects, i24NEWS reported.
Among those Zini sought to question was Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen.
According to the report, the Shin Bet chief's request also included Ta'al chairman MK Ahmed Tibi, Ra'am chairman MK Mansour Abbas, Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, and outgoing Hadash chairman MK Ayman Odeh.
However, during a discussion between Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and senior law enforcement officials, it was clarified that a distinction currently exists between the information concerning Odeh and the suspicions raised regarding the other party leaders.
According to the report, Baharav-Miara agreed that sufficient grounds for reasonable suspicion had been established to justify questioning Odeh as a criminal suspect.
By contrast, she determined that the information presented so far concerning Jabareen, Tibi, Abbas, and Abu Shehadeh did not establish reasonable suspicion sufficient to warrant opening criminal investigations against them.