Israel's Election Monitor Calls for Probe Into Alleged Foreign Meddling Amidst Vote Rigging Claims

Israel's election monitor has requested an investigation into alleged foreign meddling in the country's recent election, following claims of fraud by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies. Noah Sohlberg, the head of the Central Elections Committee, asked Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, to look into allegations of funding from "external actors operating against Israeli interests."

Sohlberg cited "serious suspicions" in a letter, while also stating he was not in a position to attest to their validity. The election committee has requested that the probe be completed within a week. Israeli police have stated they will investigate any complaints of election irregularities.

The allegations emerged after an observed increase in voter turnout among Israeli Arabs, who constitute approximately 20% of the population. Turnout among this demographic was around 53% in the 2022 election, but reports indicate participation in some Arab localities surged to about 80% in the recent vote.

During the election, Prime Minister Netanyahu posted on social media, warning that Israel could cease to be a Jewish state if Arab voters turned out in historic numbers. Arab parties, projected to win about 19 of the 120 seats in Israel's parliament, have strongly denied any fraud allegations.

Mansour Abbas, head of the Ra'am party, one of the two main Israeli Arab parties, issued a statement asserting no connection to the alleged affairs and promising full cooperation with law enforcement to uncover the truth. Abbas also accused Netanyahu of collaborating with "Qatari agents," an accusation that Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has categorically denied.

Ahmad Tibi, a leader within the Joint List, an Arab party that participated in the election, told Al Jazeera that "there were no violations in the election, and the Likud allegations are the words of sore losers."

Netanyahu's bloc, composed of right-wing, far-right, and ultra-Orthodox parties, is projected to secure 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by rival Gadi Eisenkot is expected to win 48 seats.

Eisenkot commented that Netanyahu is "helming an illegitimate influence campaign on the Israeli public aimed at delaying the publication of election results and delegitimizing the future actions" of the incoming parliament. He added that while Shin Bet should investigate the suspicions, the attempt to use uninvestigated information to undermine the official election results is unacceptable.