Qatar Denies Election Meddling, Cites Israeli Disinformation Campaign

In response to the allegations, the Likud party submitted materials to the Central Elections Committee claiming "election theft" and voter bribery, including recordings of individuals from the Arab community allegedly admitting to receiving fuel coupons and cash. Likud described the situation as a "terror attack on democracy" and accused foreign entities of attempting to control the Knesset. Meanwhile, police are conducting a separate investigation into vote-buying in the Negev, where seven Bedouin residents, including a doctor and a driver, were arrested prior to the elections with tens of thousands of shekels in cash. Authorities have emphasized that the police investigation and the Shin Bet's foreign interference probe are distinct, and the Central Elections Committee maintained that the elections were conducted legally.

Qatar has vehemently denied the allegations, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari calling them a ridiculous and dangerous disinformation campaign spread by Israeli politicians to draw Doha into internal political disputes. The Arab party Ra'am has also denied any wrongdoing. While political figures have called for investigations into Arab party leaders, a senior official from the Elections Committee and data analysts noted that even if the bribery allegations are proven true, the scale would not be significant enough to alter the election results or resolve the current political deadlock.