Amid political uncertainty, the Likud party—led by Benjamin Netanyahu—accused Turkey and Qatar on Thursday of interfering in the Israeli elections, the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to reports in the Jewish media, the Likud believes that Ankara and Doha are behind the funding of groups that encourage Arab citizens to vote — an allegation that is already under investigation by Shin Bet (the internal security service).
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As reported by Channel 12, the investigation is based on information that came to the attention of Shin Bet and was presented to the head of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg.
According to the reports, the channels through which the funds were allegedly funneled to these organizations bear a strong resemblance to those used in the past to finance terrorist activities.
This morning, Solberg instructed the head of Shin Bet, David Zini, to launch an investigation into allegations of foreign interference and “suspicions of foreign funding and possible electoral bribery by foreign entities.”
On Tuesday, Zini stated that the electoral process had gone “well so far,” adding, however, that “this should not be taken for granted.”
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Before the vote, Jewish media reported that Likud planned to contest the results in areas with Arab populations and claim that the election had been “stolen” if Netanyahu did not win. In fact, the party is said to have prepared in advance a series of complaints and allegations of electoral fraud.
Earlier that morning, a source in the Israeli police dismissed Likud’s claims that the election had been “stolen” by the Arab parties, stating that “there is no evidence” to support them.
The Arab vote is crucial to the post-election balance of power. According to estimates, the Joint List is on track to win 12 seats, while the Ra’am party is set to secure 7 seats. This combined total of 19 seats makes the two Arab parties key players in any potential government formation.
President Isaac Herzog called on politicians to demonstrate an open-minded approach during negotiations to form a government, noting that Israel must make every effort to avoid another election.
Source: skai.gr
