Police and Shin Bet arrested political adviser and social activist Abed Abu Shehadeh overnight. He has recently also worked for the Qatari network Al Jazeera and is a relative of Balad Chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh. The adviser recently returned from Qatar, where he conducted an interview with former Knesset member Azmi Bishara. His attorneys claim this is the reason for his arrest, even though the interview contains no criminal statements. He is suspected of contact with a foreign agent, and his detention has been extended by five days. His name also came up in the Balad and Qatari money affair, in which plea bargains were signed in 2021 that resulted in the conviction of senior Balad members. Although his name was mentioned, Abed is not suspected in the Balad and Qatari money affair, and at this stage it is not known whether there is a connection between the two cases.