Israel Election Chief Affirms Vote Integrity Amid Foreign Interference Claims

Sohlberg clarified that his remarks were not intended to cast doubt on the Arab community's voting participation. He noted that the investigation, being conducted by a joint team of the Shin Bet, police, and the Attorney General's office, is currently in a covert stage based on classified information, making most media reports inaccurate. He stated that solid evidence is required to challenge election outcomes and that the official results will be published on Wednesday as scheduled.

The Likud party sharply criticized Sohlberg's statements, calling it premature to dismiss the impact of foreign interference before the investigation is complete. Likud pointed out that a margin of just 4,612 votes determined the allocation of a Knesset seat, arguing that external influence could have altered the political map. Meanwhile, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot welcomed Sohlberg's statement and accused Likud of attempting to delegitimize the election outcome.