Culture Minister Miki Zohar Faces 12-Hour Police Interrogation in Expanding Histadrut Bribery Probe

Culture Minister Miki Zohar faced a second 12-hour police interrogation this week regarding his ties to central suspects in the Histadrut bribery case.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 23, 2026, 5:36 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Intensifying Legal Pressure on Senior Cabinet Member

The National Fraud Investigations Unit has significantly increased its focus on Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar as part of a widening probe into systemic corruption within Israel's largest labor union. On Thursday, Zohar underwent 12 hours of continuous questioning at the Lahav 433 headquarters, marking his second appearance before investigators this week alone. This marathon session indicates that the police are moving into a more aggressive phase of their inquiry, seeking to clarify the extent of the minister's involvement with key suspects in the burgeoning Histadrut scandal.

The Alleged Bribery Network of Ezra Gabay

At the heart of the investigation is Ezra Gabay, a prominent insurance agent and veteran Likud activist who is suspected of orchestrating a complex "quid pro quo" bribery network. According to investigators, Gabay allegedly leveraged his high-level political connections to secure lucrative insurance contracts with various labor unions and municipal corporations. In exchange for these contracts, Gabay is suspected of using his influence within the Likud party and his ties to Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David to procure government jobs and senior positions for favored associates.

Examining High-Level Political Patronage

Police are specifically examining whether Minister Zohar utilized his official position or political clout to assist Gabay in expanding his insurance client base. Reports from the Ynet news site suggest that investigators are scrutinizing communications between the two men to determine if Zohar’s friendships crossed the line into illegal patronage. While Zohar has previously stated that his personal associations should not be misconstrued as criminal activity, the length and frequency of his interrogations suggest that authorities possess specific leads they believe require detailed explanation.