Likud Claims Election Rigging, Demands Investigation into Arab Parties

The Likud party launched a sharp attack on Wednesday following the 26th Knesset elections, alleging that serious criminal offenses in Arab polling stations compromised the integrity of the vote and influenced its outcome. In a statement, the party claimed the elections were "stolen" through bribery, threats, violence, fraud, and the use of prohibited software to encourage voters. Likud announced it is submitting hundreds of testimonies and evidence to the police, Shin Bet, and the Central Elections Committee to support its suspicions. The party claims to have documented cases of envelopes containing cash and Ra'am party ballots, threats and violence against polling committee members, suspected double voting, multiple individuals voting behind the curtain, and discrepancies between the number of ballot envelopes and voters. It was also alleged that prohibited software was used to encourage voting. Likud is demanding that the police and Shin Bet conduct a thorough investigation and prosecute those found responsible. The party also urged the Central Elections Committee to immediately address the claims and investigate whether election offenses occurred. Likud stated that these alleged actions severely harmed democracy and the voting rights of Israeli citizens, calling for swift and decisive action from law enforcement. As of the statement's release, these claims are solely Likud's allegations, and the statement itself does not confirm that offenses were committed or that election results were affected. The investigation of these suspicions rests with the relevant authorities.