Minister Gilat Gamliel Files Police Complaint Against Likud Chairman Haim Katz Over Primary Vote Fraud Allegations

Minister Gilat Gamliel filed a complaint with the Lahav 433 police unit on Tuesday, accusing Haim Katz, chairman of the Likud Central Committee, of vote tampering during the party's primaries. The complaint centers on serious irregularities discovered in the ballot counting at a polling station in Be'er Ya'akov, which is pivotal in the contest for the 25th spot on the Likud list, a seat reserved for a female candidate.

The dispute arose after a dramatic discrepancy of 137 votes was found between the initial count and a subsequent recount at the Be'er Ya'akov polling station. Initially, 240 valid votes were recorded, all attributed to Gamliel, but the recount drastically reduced her tally to 103 votes. The ballot box was stored in a warehouse for eight days before the recount, raising suspicions in Gamliel's camp.

A senior Likud official described the situation as potentially criminal if the results were indeed falsified, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation. Gamliel had petitioned the Likud court to halt the recount, but her request was denied. Following the release of the new results, she decided to escalate the matter to law enforcement authorities.

This controversy unfolds amid internal Likud tensions over the reservation mechanism for list spots, which Katz promoted and which was recently upheld by the party court despite conflict of interest claims. The outcome of the Be'er Ya'akov ballot count could decisively influence the battle between Gamliel and MK Eti Atiya for the reserved women's slot at number 25 on the Likud list.