Israel Election Controversy: Netanyahu’s Party Alleges Vote Theft
Investigating Israel's election controversy as Netanyahu's party claims vote theft amid Arab parties' historic win
POLICY WIRE — Tel Aviv, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has sparked controversy by alleging that Israel’s recent election was stolen, citing foreign funding and vote-buying as factors that contributed to their loss of majority in the Knesset.
The final election results revealed that Israel’s Arab-majority parties achieved their highest turnout ever, securing an unprecedented 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, which has significantly impacted Netanyahu’s ability to form a new government.
The Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, has launched an investigation into possible foreign influence in the election, although the scope of the investigation remains unclear, and Qatar’s foreign ministry has denied allegations of interfering in the election.
Gadi Eisenkot, head of the centrist Yashar party, expressed concerns that Netanyahu might be using the allegation of a stolen election to delay or disqualify the results, and once the new Knesset is sworn in, Eisenkot’s bloc, along with the Arab parties, could begin passing laws given their majority in the parliament.
Netanyahu will remain in his post as a caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed, and if the parties cannot negotiate to form a new coalition government, the country would have to hold another election, with Netanyahu remaining as prime minister in the interim.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
