Election Results Finalized Amidst Bribery and Foreign Funding Probe
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
The final results of Israel's 26th Knesset elections show the Likud party as the largest with 27 seats, while the current coalition holds 53 seats. The results are overshadowed by an ongoing investigation into alleged election bribery and foreign funding, with the Shin Bet reportedly holding intelligence for weeks. The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee has ordered the Shin Bet to investigate the foreign funding claims. President Herzog urged a thorough investigation but cautioned against broad accusations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The Likud party leads with 27 seats in the 26th Knesset elections, with final results pending.
- An investigation into alleged election bribery and foreign funding from enemy states is underway.
- The Shin Bet reportedly held intelligence on the alleged foreign funding for weeks before acting.
- President Herzog called for a thorough investigation while warning against tarnishing entire communities.
- Several ministers and MKs have called for an urgent probe into unprecedented election interference claims.
The final results of the 26th Knesset elections show a complex political landscape, with the current coalition holding only 53 seats and the "change bloc" at 48. The Likud party emerged as the largest, securing 27 mandates, followed by Yesh Atid with 21. Other parties' seat allocations include: Agudat Yisrael (12), the Joint List (11), Hadash and Ra'am (8 each), Yisrael Beiteinu and Otzma Yehudit (7 each), United Torah Judaism and Shas (7 each), and Religious Zionism and Identity (6 each). Two parties, HaMiluimnikim and HaKalkalit, and Am Israel, failed to pass the electoral threshold.
The Central Elections Committee has completed the count of approximately 392,234 double envelopes. These results come amid an unprecedented investigation into alleged election bribery and foreign funding. The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has ordered the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, to investigate suspicions of foreign funding in the elections and report findings within a week. The investigation is examining claims of millions of shekels from enemy states allegedly transferred to Israel to fund vote-buying and influence election outcomes, though the specific countries and funding channels remain undisclosed.
President Isaac Herzog addressed the ongoing investigation, calling it a "sensitive moment" and stating he is closely monitoring developments. He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation and punishment for offenders but cautioned against broad generalizations that could tarnish entire segments of the public. Ahead of consultations with faction representatives, Herzog urged leaders to be open-minded and open-hearted.
Following the allegations, several ministers and Knesset members, including Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman, and Interior Committee Chairman Yitzhak Kroizer, urged an urgent investigation, describing the claims as an unprecedented attempt to interfere with Israel's democratic elections.
Minister for the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Yitzhak Wasserlauf stated that his party, Otzma Yehudit, received documentation and testimonies of irregularities on election day, including allegations of money being distributed in exchange for votes for Ra'am. He reported that dozens of such complaints were forwarded to relevant authorities in real-time.
New details revealed by Israel Hayom indicate the Shin Bet possessed sensitive intelligence regarding the alleged foreign funding and election bribery in the Arab community for several weeks. The agency reportedly monitored suspected illegal fund transfers from Arab countries associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, such as Qatar and Turkey, aimed at incentivizing and increasing voter turnout in the Arab sector. The Shin Bet delayed immediate action for investigative and tactical reasons, preferring to wait until the bribery and fund transfers occurred to build a solid evidentiary foundation. Once the alleged offenses took place and funds began to flow, the Shin Bet presented its intelligence materials to the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee.
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