Netanyahus Party Accuses Arab Parties of Electoral Fraud

Tel Aviv, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Arab parties of “stealing” the recent Israeli election. Following a closely contested vote, neither his political faction nor the main opposition secured enough seats to achieve a parliamentary majority.

The election results have positioned Arab parties in a pivotal role, with projections indicating they could secure a record 19 seats. As political factions explore options for forming the next government, the performance of these parties could play a crucial role in coalition negotiations.

Netanyahu’s Likud party issued a statement alleging serious irregularities in the electoral process. They also accused Arab parties of attempting to undermine the state of Israel.

In their statement, Likud claimed, “Arab parties have hijacked the Israeli elections. These parties support terrorism and seek to eliminate the Jewish state. They have committed serious criminal acts such as bribery, threats, violence, and fraud, and used illegal software to mobilize voters.”

In light of these allegations, Likud has called for a police investigation into electoral misconduct. The party has also requested that Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, conduct an inquiry into claims of voter fraud, intimidation, and other potential violations related to the election.

Furthermore, they alleged the use of restricted software to mobilize voters and demanded a “thorough investigation” into these claims. Likud has also sought immediate responses from the election committee and urged relevant authorities to investigate these alleged irregularities.

These accusations arise as the Ra’am and Joint List parties have performed impressively in the elections, with estimates suggesting they could collectively win 19 seats. With these potential seats, they could significantly influence government formation discussions, as neither Netanyahu’s faction nor the main opposition appears to have a clear majority in parliament.

Netanyahu has consistently stated that he will not collaborate with Arab parties. Therefore, their potential success has become a key factor in the political strategy for government formation.

Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that the counting of “double envelope” votes is underway. Local media indicated that the tallying of all regular votes has not yet been completed.

According to the Times of Israel, these “double envelopes” include ballots from voters who participated via absentee ballots. This group primarily consists of IDF soldiers, prisoners, medical personnel, individuals facing health issues, and Israeli representatives stationed abroad.

The CEC also noted that the counting of all regular votes is still ongoing. As of now, results have been processed from 11,712 of the 12,018 polling stations, accounting for 5,126,759 votes.

The commission further stated that the verification process for the remaining polling stations is still in progress.