Israeli election commission finds no evidence irregularities affected result

Israel’s election commission says its review found no evidence of irregularities that compromised the integrity of or affected the outcome of the 27 October parliamentary election, challenging claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party that Arab-led parties had stolen the vote.

The commission said it had examined complaints from political parties and members of the public. According to Israel National News, officials reviewed records from 9,069 of the country’s 12,018 regular polling stations and examined voting materials in greater depth at 350 stations. Acting commission director Dean Livne said corrections were made where required.

On 29 October, Netanyahu shared a Likud party statement alleging that Arab parties had stolen the election through foreign interference and voter bribery. The Associated Press reported that Likud had not given evidence for the broad claim.

A separate investigation by the Shin Bet security service into possible foreign interference was still under way, an election commission spokesperson told AP. In another case, police linked suspects in an alleged vote-buying scheme to the Arab-led Ra’am party, which denied involvement.

Commission chair Noam Sohlberg said on 1 November that even if the foreign interference suspicions were substantiated, they would not undermine the election results as a whole.

Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while a bloc led by his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, won 48. Arab-led parties won the remaining 19 seats. President Isaac Herzog will consult party representatives before choosing a candidate to attempt to form a government, which needs a majority of at least 61 seats.