Netanyahu Challenges Knesset Vote as Israeli Courts and Officials Defend Results
The Prime Minister claims Arab-led parties stole the election, but top security and judicial leaders say the vote stands despite ongoing investigations into bribery and foreign interference.
By Alexei Brooks ·
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to overturn the results of last week’s general election weakened on Sunday. Israeli election officials and security chiefs publicly confirmed that the vote would remain valid, even if recent claims of foreign interference are proven true. This stance directly contradicts the position of Netanyahu’s Likud party, which has argued that the election was compromised.
The conflict centers on the outcome of the October 27 election. Netanyahu’s coalition bloc lost its majority in the 120-seat Knesset. His parliamentary allies now hold 53 seats, a drop from a peak of 68 in the previous legislature. The opposition, led by Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats. Arab-led parties, including the Islamist group Ra’am, secured the remaining 19 seats. Together, the two opposition blocs hold enough seats to form a new government.
Likud has not provided specific evidence for its claim that Arab-led parties stole the election. The party has pointed to a series of arrests and allegations. Before polls opened, police arrested three activists carrying envelopes of cash allegedly intended to bribe voters. Two days later, four more suspects were detained. Police stated these individuals were linked to Ra’am, though the party denied any involvement in the scheme.
On Sunday, a judge reviewed the status of the three initial suspects. The court questioned or rejected police requests for stricter restrictions. Police reported that one suspect was released with unspecified conditions. Another was ordered to serve eight days of house arrest. The detention of the third suspect was extended by two days.
In a coordinated move to support the integrity of the vote, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, the head of the elections committee, appeared alongside the Attorney General and the head of the Shin Bet intelligence service. Sohlberg stated that even if suspicions of interference are substantiated, the integrity of the electoral process and the final results would not be undermined. Likud quickly pushed back, asking how the committee chief could acknowledge serious allegations while asserting they would have no effect on the outcome.
The Shin Bet has opened an investigation into alleged foreign interference at the request of the election commission. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of launching an organized campaign to delegitimize the results by insinuating that Qatar supported opposition parties. Qatar has denied funding any activities meant to influence the election. Eisenkot said the Shin Bet briefed him on the investigation.
Arab leaders have criticized the timing and nature of the arrests. Mansour Abbas, leader of Ra’am, called the detentions undemocratic and an attempt to influence the results. Yousef Jabareen, head of the Joint List of Arab parties, said Netanyahu reverts to racist incitement during crises. Jabareen noted that more than half of the content published by Likud on election day targeted Arab voters, who make up 20% of the population.
Netanyahu has suggested it would be treasonous for Eisenkot to ally with Arab parties. A few dozen protesters gathered outside Eisenkot’s home on Sunday night to support this view. One protester, Shoshana Idasis, said the country is very tiny and must remain Jewish. Larger rallies in recent days have called for a coalition between Jewish and Arab parties.
The official certification of the results is due this week. On Wednesday, President Isaac Herzog will begin meetings with elected parties to determine who has the best chance of forming a government. This process will likely lead to weeks of negotiations between Netanyahu and Eisenkot. If no coalition can be formed, the country will face new elections early next year.
