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The head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee said Sunday that the election results will stand even if suspicions of foreign interference are substantiated, undercutting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that the vote was "stolen."
Justice Noam Sohlberg spoke flanked by Shin Bet chief David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, in an image indicating officials were "on the same page."
"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," Sohlberg said.
"Some suspicions emerged and they are being examined. The claim that the evidence could change the election results as a whole is not true," he said.
Likud asked how the committee chief could acknowledge serious allegations while saying they would not affect the outcome.
Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit called it "incomprehensible that Sohlberg hastily declared the results will not change" and claimed the Shin Bet’s legal adviser had pressured Zini to wrap up the investigation.
Likud has alleged, without public evidence, that Arab-led parties "stole" the election and that Qatar funded efforts to boost Arab turnout.
Qatar has denied the claims.
"The despicable and malicious attempt to disown the election results, challenge the public’s will, smear an entire community and drag Israel into new elections has failed," Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot wrote on X.
"Only someone who realizes he has lost would be prepared to wage such a crude delegitimization campaign, even at the cost of further damaging public trust in state institutions," he added.
"As long as Netanyahu refuses to do so, he is lending support to conspiracy theories that the elections were rigged. This is how a dictator who does not accept defeat at the ballot box behaves," Democrats leader Yair Golan said, urging Netanyahu to accept the results.
A judge on Sunday questioned or rejected police requests for further restrictions on three suspects arrested before polls opened with envelopes of cash. One was released under conditions, another placed under eight days of house arrest and a third’s detention extended two days.
Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas called the arrests undemocratic and "an attempt to influence the election results."
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said his Together party would recommend that President Isaac Herzog task Eisenkot with forming the next government.
The Democrats also intend to recommend Eisenkot, Channel 12 reported.
Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats, Eisenkot’s 48 and Arab parties 19. Herzog will receive official results Wednesday and begin consultations; the designated candidate gets 28 days, extendable by 14, to form a government.
Netanyahu has suggested it would be treasonous for Eisenkot to join with Arab parties, as Israel’s election results move toward certification.
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