Ra'am Chairman Denies Party Involvement in Election Fraud Allegations

Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, has vehemently denied any connection between his party and the "Ra'amgate" affair, which involves allegations of vote buying and foreign interference in the 26th Knesset elections. In his first public statement on the matter, Abbas welcomed the decision by Central Elections Committee Chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, to investigate the suspicions.

Abbas stated that Ra'am has no link to the current allegations or any other related issues. He emphasized his party's commitment to upholding the integrity of elections and the rule of law, declaring that Ra'am will cooperate fully with all law enforcement agencies to uncover the truth. "There will be nothing, because there is nothing," Abbas said in response to what he termed a smear campaign, contrasting it with what he called a lie from his political opponents.

The "Ra'amgate" affair surfaced following reports of alleged vote buying within the Arab community and foreign influence in the elections. Justice Sohlberg has requested the Shin Bet, led by David Zini, to examine the claims, while a police investigation has reportedly led to the arrest of seven suspects. The Likud party has labeled the affair "Ra'amgate" and claims to possess evidence of election tampering, demanding a deeper investigation.