Police detain Jaffa council head amid post-election political standoff
Security forces raided the home of Abd Abu Shahadeh at midnight, seizing devices and books, as Palestinian-led parties secured their best Knesset result to date.
By Vikram Harrison ·
Israeli security forces arrested Abd Abu Shahadeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and head of the elected Islamic Council in Jaffa, on Tuesday night. Officers took him from his home around midnight and moved him to an undisclosed location. The operation involved approximately 15 personnel, including masked officers, who entered the residence in front of Abu Shahadeh’s two children.
Police stated that the Tel Aviv Central Unit and the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, are handling the case. A court issued a publication ban, classifying the matter as a security-related investigation. During the raid, agents confiscated several books and electronic devices. Abu Shahadeh also serves on the editorial board of the Arab48 news website and contributes regularly to opinion sections.
The detention follows the conclusion of elections held last week. Palestinian-led parties won 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, marking their strongest performance in history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc fell to 53 seats, down from 64 in the 2022 cycle. The opposition also failed to secure a majority, resulting in a political deadlock that has intensified scrutiny of the voting process.
Netanyahu’s Likud party has claimed the vote was stolen, citing allegations of foreign interference. Opposition figures argue that Likud is exaggerating these claims to undermine the results, while Palestinian-led parties have denied the accusations. On Wednesday, the Central Elections Committee certified the outcome, stating it found no evidence of irregularities that compromised the election's integrity or changed the result.
On Tuesday, Shin Bet chief David Zini sought to question leaders of Palestinian-led parties under caution. The list included Mahmoud Abbas of the United Arab List, Ahmed Tibi of Ta'al, and Sami Abu Shehadeh of Balad. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara blocked the request, asserting that citizens and elected officials require proper evidentiary grounds before being questioned.
Sami Abu Shehadeh said the arrest was part of an effort by Netanyahu and Zini to steal the elections. He described the act as a serious crime and a broader campaign of arrests and threats designed to weaponize police and intelligence services. He stated that the detention would not deter Palestinian citizens from participating in the political process.
The Shin Bet announced on Wednesday that it had gathered intelligence suggesting widespread foreign funding aimed at influencing the election. However, security sources told the Haaretz newspaper they were unfamiliar with claims involving thousands of people or huge sums of money. One source noted that Zini declared the vote secure on election day, questioning how large financial flows could have gone undetected if they were as substantial as alleged.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Zini to arrest all Palestinian party leaders. He suggested interrogating them in Shin Bet basement cells and declared that the election was stolen within the State of Israel. The conflicting statements from security officials and political leaders have left the legal status of the investigation and the political path forward uncertain.
