Israeli police and the Central Elections Committee say they have no evidence supporting Likud’s allegations of electoral wrongdoing, Deutsche Welle reports. Benjamin Netanyahu’s party accused Arab parties of illegally mobilising voters and alleged interference by Qatar and Turkey. The committee’s chairman asked the Shin Bet security service to investigate, while making clear that he could not confirm the allegations.
According to DW’s report of 29 October, the dispute concerns elections held that week. Likud accused Ra’am and the Joint List of using bribery and threats to mobilise voters in Arab communities. It also alleged that foreign actors were involved. These are allegations made by the party, not confirmed findings by the institutions responsible for security and the conduct of the vote.
Authorities distinguish allegations from evidence
Israeli police said they had no evidence supporting Likud’s claims. They described the number of incidents affecting the integrity of the vote as low, including in comparison with other elections, DW reports.
Dean Livne, acting director general of the Central Elections Committee, took a similar position in an interview with Israeli broadcaster Kan 11. He said the committee had no basis for claims of a stolen election: it had received allegations, but not evidence.
Meanwhile, the committee’s chairman, Justice No’am Sohlberg, referred the matter to Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service. According to DW, he requested an investigation without confirming that the allegations were true. Asking for the claims to be examined does not, in itself, establish that they have merit.
Ra’am and Qatar deny wrongdoing
Ra’am rejected allegations that it had been involved in electoral wrongdoing and said it would co-operate with any investigation. Qatar also denied interfering in Israel’s elections. According to DW, Shin Bet had not publicly confirmed details of reported intelligence findings cited in connection with the allegations.
The positions set out by the police and the committee mean that those institutions have identified no evidence supporting the allegations described. They do not, however, amount to a final conclusion of an investigation or a finding that every possible irregularity has been ruled out. The Deutsche Welle report does not give a final outcome to the proceedings.
