Israeli election results remain valid despite claims of foreign interference

Noam Sohlberg, head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, stated that the election results would remain in place even if claims of foreign interference were substantiated. He made the statement in a video released on Sunday, alongside the head of Shin Bet and the attorney general.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party questioned the election results without providing evidence, alleging that Arab-led parties had stolen the vote and accepted funding from Qatar. Qatar has denied these claims, calling them part of a disinformation campaign.

Israeli police released two of three political activists arrested before the election. The activists were carrying cash, allegedly to bribe voters, according to police. One was released under unspecified conditions, while the other was placed on house arrest.

The suspects were linked to the Ra’am party, which won eight seats in the election. Ra’am’s leader, Mansour Abbas, criticized the arrests as undemocratic and an attempt to influence the election results.

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of launching an orchestrated and organized campaign to discredit the election results. Eisenkot previously ruled out forming a coalition with Arab parties, but the election deadlock has made such an alliance necessary to form a government.

Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition bloc won 48, leaving neither side with enough support to form a government alone. Arab-led parties, including Ra’am, won a total of 19 seats, with a potential coalition with Eisenkot offering a majority of 67 in parliament.