Netanyahu Bloc Parties May Abstain From Voting on Election Results
Translated & summarized from Arab48 by baba
Parties in Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, including Likud, are considering abstaining from approving the Knesset election results due to alleged foreign interference. Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg rejected requests to delay the announcement, stating it is legally mandated for Wednesday. He emphasized that any objections must be handled by the courts after the results are published. The committee will present the final results to President Yitzhak Herzog, initiating government formation talks.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu bloc parties may abstain from voting on Knesset election results amid interference claims.
- Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg insists results will be announced Wednesday as legally required.
- Likud cited "serious suspicions of foreign interference" in a request to delay the results announcement.
- Sohlberg stated that suspicions warrant investigation but do not justify challenging the overall election outcome.
- The final results will be presented to President Yitzhak Herzog to begin government formation consultations.
Parties aligned with Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, including Likud, Otzma Yehudit, and Religious Zionism, are reportedly leaning towards abstaining from the vote to approve the Knesset election results. This move comes amid ongoing efforts by Netanyahu's camp to question the integrity of the vote, citing suspicions of foreign interference. However, the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has insisted that the announcement of the results cannot be postponed.
According to Channel 12, the three parties intend to abstain during the Central Elections Committee meeting. Sohlberg rejected Likud's request to delay the publication of the final results, emphasizing that Israeli law mandates their announcement on Wednesday. He stated in a message to committee members that the Basic Law: Knesset requires the publication of election results on the scheduled date and that no entity has the authority to prevent their announcement or delay the convening of the new Knesset.
Sohlberg stressed that no party has the right to prevent the convening of the elected Knesset due to any suspicions, regardless of their severity. He added that any objections to the election results must be addressed in court after their official publication, not by delaying the announcement. He expressed confidence that the committee members would act in accordance with the Basic Law and approve the election results summary on Wednesday.
Earlier, Likud had submitted an urgent request for a Central Elections Committee session, citing "serious suspicions of foreign interference" and demanding their discussion before approving the results. Likud representative Ilan Bombach argued that the gravity and unclear nature of these suspicions prevent the committee from approving the results as if nothing had happened.
However, Sohlberg had previously clarified that while the suspicions warrant examination and investigation, they do not form a basis for challenging the overall election results. He asserted that the claim that available evidence could undermine the entire election outcome is incorrect. These developments occur amidst a campaign by Likud to question the election results, particularly votes from the Arab community, following a Shin Bet investigation into alleged foreign interference, though no evidence has been presented to prove its impact on the results.
The Central Elections Committee is scheduled to announce the final results on Wednesday and present them to Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, paving the way for consultations with parties on forming the next government.
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