Lieberman Alleges Palestinian Authority Funded Arab Lists in Israeli Elections

Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, revealed classified information on Monday, claiming the Palestinian Authority (PA) is the foreign entity suspected of funneling funds to the Joint List. Lieberman further alleged that the PA directed both the United Arab List and the Joint List. He stated that while the elections should not be canceled, the PA's intervention led to radicalization. Previously, it was reported that a Knesset member from the Joint List received hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash, though evidence of Qatari funding, as previously claimed regarding Qatari interference to encourage Arab voter turnout, was absent. It remains unclear if the funds were used for electoral purposes or other objectives.

Lieberman also addressed government formation, announcing his party would recommend appointing Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government. He criticized the opposition leader, referred to as the head of the "Yashar!" party, for an "egoistic" election campaign and for the opposition's electoral failure. Lieberman further stated he would support Yair Lapid's nomination for Knesset Speaker and affirmed he would never sit with Benjamin Netanyahu, nor support his candidacy for prime minister.