DW and The Times of Israel reported that Israel Police found no investigative or intelligence basis for Likud’s claim that Arab-led parties stole Israel’s election on Tuesday, Oct. 27, leaving the complaint under review.
Likud, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleged Arab-led parties used bribery, threats, violence, forgery and prohibited software to mobilize voters. The accusations have not been established. The Central Elections Committee confirmed receipt of Likud’s complaint and said it was examining it under the routine procedure used in each election. DW and The Times of Israel reported that Israel Police logged few irregular incidents on election day; they said police investigations and intelligence work did not corroborate the party’s wider accusation.
NDTV’s preliminary count put Netanyahu’s bloc at 53 seats, the opposition at 48 and Arab-led parties at 19 in the 120-seat Knesset. Neither of the larger blocs reached the 61 seats needed for a majority, leaving Arab-led parties able to influence coalition talks. NDTV reported opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot had not committed to working with them.
NDTV reported national turnout of 77.7%, the highest since 1999, and estimated turnout among Arab voters at about 80%. DW reported Arab turnout was about 50% in 2022.
In a separate inquiry, Central Elections Committee chair Supreme Court Justice No’am Sohlberg asked the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) to examine suspicions of improper foreign funding, DW reported. Sohlberg said he could not verify the suspicions himself. DW said the Shin Bet had not publicly confirmed the details of the allegations. DW also reported that Likud alleged involvement by Qatar and Turkey, and that Qatar denied involvement.
President Isaac Herzog called for the allegations to be investigated and warned, “we must not tarnish an entire community.” The Central Elections Committee’s timeline lists Wednesday, Nov. 4, for publication of the results.
