Israel Election Results to Stand Despite Netanyahu's 'Stolen Vote' Claims and Foreign Interference Suspicions

The head of Israel’s elections commission has stated that the results of the country’s general election will be upheld, even if claims of foreign interference are proven true. "Our position is that even if the suspicions are substantiated, this would not undermine the integrity of the electoral process or the election results as a whole," Central Elections Committee head Noam Sohlberg announced in a video on Sunday. He appeared alongside the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, and the attorney general.

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party had challenged the election outcome, alleging without evidence that Arab-led parties, which saw significant gains, had “stole” the vote and received funding from Qatar. Qatar has denied these allegations, characterizing them as a disinformation campaign.

On Sunday, Israeli police also reported the release of two out of three political activists apprehended before the polls opened. Authorities stated the individuals were found with envelopes of cash, purportedly for voter bribery. One activist was released under unspecified conditions, while another was placed under house arrest. Police indicated a connection between the suspects and the Arab-led Ra’am party, which secured eight seats. The party's leader, Mansour Abbas, condemned the arrests as undemocratic and an “attempt to influence the election results”.

Meanwhile, main opposition leader Eisenkot accused Netanyahu on Sunday of initiating an “orchestrated and organised campaign to delegitimise the results”. While Eisenkot has previously ruled out forming a coalition with Arab parties, the current electoral deadlock may necessitate their support to form a government.

Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats in the election, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot garnered 48 seats. Neither bloc can form a government independently in Israel's 120-seat parliament. Israel’s three Arab-led parties, including Ra’am, achieved a record 19 seats. A coalition between Eisenkot and the Arab parties would grant them a majority of 67 seats. However, forming a government with Arab parties remains politically challenging for many in Israel.

The official certification of the election results is expected this week, after which President Isaac Herzog will be tasked with nominating a candidate to form the next government.