Likud Demands Police Probe After Accusing Arab Parties of Election Fraud

Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has formally requested a law enforcement investigation into Tuesday's Knesset election, asserting that Arab political lists secured victory through systematic criminal conduct. The party released a statement following the vote, demanding that the Israel Police, Shin Bet, and the Central Elections Committee (CEC) open an immediate inquiry into alleged irregularities.

Likud claimed that thousands of cash envelopes were found alongside ballot slips for Ra'am, the party led by Mansour Abbas. The party also cited threats against polling station committee members, voters entering booths together, and the use of prohibited software to mobilize voters. Additional accusations included voting under duplicate identities and discrepancies between the number of cash envelopes and registered voters in specific Arab communities.

The party stated it would submit hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence to authorities. Likud described the alleged conduct as a grave blow to Israeli democracy and urged investigators to act decisively. The statement characterized the Arab parties as supporting terrorism and the destruction of the Jewish state through these criminal offenses.

The Central Elections Committee confirmed receipt of the complaints and noted it is reviewing them under its routine election integrity process. The CEC explained that it launched a monitoring operation to examine suspected irregularities. Its acting director-general contacted electoral lists on October 25 to outline the procedure for submitting data from polling stations where results warrant further examination.

Local officials disputed the narrative of fraud. Rahat Mayor Talal al-Krenawi told Walla that the accusations were lies and incitement against the Bedouins. He stated that residents voted using ballot papers and identity cards for the first time and that he had never seen elections as clean. Al-Krenawi noted that residents with walking aids arrived to vote, questioning why exercising democratic rights was framed as theft.

Simcha Rothman, an MK from the Religious Zionist Party, wrote to Justice Noam Sohlberg and Shin Bet director David Zini. Rothman, who chairs the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, demanded an investigation into allegations of bribery, including claims that voters received cash, fuel cards, and other benefits for voting for Ra'am. He asked authorities to report findings within 24 hours and created a dedicated email address for receiving reports on suspected irregularities.

No independent evidence has been made public to confirm that Arab parties systematically manipulated results. The CEC continues its review of the data submitted by political parties regarding the election outcome.