Election Integrity Unaffected by Foreign Funding Probe, Israel's Election Chief States

Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, stated on Sunday that the recent elections for the 26th Knesset were conducted properly, despite ongoing investigations into suspected foreign funding aimed at influencing the vote. Speaking alongside Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Shin Bet head David Zini, Sohlberg clarified that while serious suspicions of external funding with potential security implications have emerged and are being investigated, they do not undermine the election results. "Suspicions are suspicions. To challenge election results, solid evidence is required," he asserted, emphasizing that the current evidence does not warrant overturning the outcome. He noted that the Shin Bet investigation is in a covert stage, based on classified information, and its details cannot be disclosed.

The Likud party responded critically to Sohlberg's statement, expressing bewilderment that "very serious suspicions" of foreign funding were acknowledged, yet immediately dismissed as having no impact on the results before the investigation concludes. The party highlighted that only 4,612 votes separated a mandate shift from the Ra'am party to the right-wing bloc, which could have significantly altered the political map. The Likud called for a swift and thorough investigation to preserve election integrity and national sovereignty, stating that a "dark cloud" hangs over the results until the probe is complete.

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, praised Sohlberg's declaration, calling it a defeat for a "despicable and malicious attempt" to deny election results and cause further elections. He suggested that only those who lost would engage in such a "blatant delegitimization campaign" at the expense of public trust in state institutions. Eisenkot reiterated that the 26th Knesset election results are clear and that the public has spoken, indicating the current government lacks a majority.

Professor Yosef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, also commented on Sohlberg's statement, characterizing it as a failed "spin" by Benjamin Netanyahu. He stated that Sohlberg's announcement put an end to Netanyahu's political attempt to use the Shin Bet to discredit the election results and defame an entire segment of the population. Jabareen asserted that Netanyahu's campaign of incitement, intended to undermine public trust and obstruct a change of government, had failed, just as Netanyahu did at the ballot box. He attributed the reaction to the high voter turnout in the Arab community, stating that the public clearly rejected the government with 67 mandates.

Reports indicate that the Shin Bet is examining further meetings between senior members of the Joint List and individuals from Qatar and Turkey as part of the investigation into alleged Qatari interference in Israeli elections. Currently, there is no solid evidence, but the Shin Bet is exploring whether these meetings have broader implications. The Mossad has also joined the investigation, focusing on specific aspects of the influence attempt, while the Shin Bet leads the overall probe. It was also reported that Shin Bet head David Zini met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prior to his meeting with Sohlberg, informing him that the Shin Bet's legal advisor had restricted the investigation before the elections.