Israel Checks 9,069 Polling Stations, Finds No Evidence To Back Netanyahu’s Election Fraud Claims

Israel’s Central Elections Committee has found no evidence that irregularities compromised the integrity or changed the outcome of the October 27 Knesset election, rejecting allegations of widespread fraud promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party.

The committee said on Wednesday that it had completed its review of complaints concerning the election and that the results accurately reflected voters’ choices. The examination covered protocols from 9,069 polling stations, with ballots, voter registers and other voting documents checked where necessary.

Acting committee director Dean Livne said every complaint received from political parties, candidate lists and members of the public had been examined individually. Corrections were made wherever required, based on official records and voting materials.

The findings follow allegations by Netanyahu and his allies that Arab-led parties had stolen the election, possibly with foreign assistance. The claims emerged after Netanyahu’s bloc fell short of a majority in the 120-member Knesset. His bloc secured 53 seats, while the opposition won 48 and Arab-led parties secured 19, leaving the latter in a potentially decisive position during coalition negotiations.

On Wednesday, President Isaac Herzog received the official election results from Central Elections Committee chairman and Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. The formal submission follows the committee’s review of complaints and its conclusion that the vote had not been compromised.

Separate Foreign Interference Probe

The committee’s findings do not mean that a separate investigation into suspected foreign influence has been closed. The Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, was asked to examine suspicions that foreign entities had provided funds to influence the election. The committee chairman had said he could not independently verify the allegations when referring the matter for investigation.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara on Tuesday rejected a request by Shin Bet chief David Zini to interrogate senior Arab party lawmakers, saying citizens and elected officials could not be questioned without evidence to justify such action. Her office said the investigation should proceed on the basis of the material available to law enforcement authorities.

The distinction is significant: the committee found no evidence that irregularities affected the election results, while the separate inquiry concerns suspected foreign influence. The latter has not established that the vote was stolen or that its outcome was altered.