Likud Lawmaker Demands Comprehensive Recount After Primary Voting Discrepancies

Following revelations of significant discrepancies in the Likud party's 2026 primary election results, Knesset member Shabtai Ketesh has formally requested an urgent external audit to verify the vote counts. The demand comes after a sample review uncovered hundreds of vote differences between official protocols and published results, raising concerns about the accuracy and integrity of the primary outcomes.

The discrepancies were found in multiple polling stations, including notable cases such as Ze'ev Elkin in Dalit al-Karmel, where 130 votes were recorded in the protocols but only 26 were officially counted, and Amir Ohana in Jerusalem, with a 62-vote difference. Other candidates, including Yariv Levin, Boaz Bismuth, and Tali Gottlieb, also showed significant mismatches in vote tallies. Some errors involved both inflated and reduced vote counts, suggesting possible human data entry mistakes rather than deliberate manipulation.

Ketesh has called on the Likud election committee, led by Judge Yaakov Naaman, to conduct a thorough triple verification process comparing physical vote sheets, original protocols, and the official Excel data files. He emphasized that this step is essential to uphold democratic values and maintain voter trust ahead of the 26th Knesset elections.

Tali Gottlieb has joined the call for corrections, reporting that nearly a third of polling stations reviewed showed 249 missing votes from her total. The party faces internal turmoil as these findings could affect final candidate rankings and the overall composition of the Likud list.

The Likud leadership has yet to respond officially to the demands, but the controversy highlights the critical need for transparency and accuracy in the party's primary process.