The Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Israel announced on Sunday that the investigations into allegations of foreign funding in the recent elections will not affect the election results. He clarified that currently, 'doubts remain doubts.'
Investigations and Financial Allegations
The Israeli Internal Security Agency (Shin Bet) has begun investigations at the request of the Election Commission Chairman to determine whether the Arab Israeli party 'Ra'am' received money from Qatar. This allegation, which both parties, namely the Qatari government and the Ra'am party, have denied, has recently become a controversial topic.
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In this context, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and his Likud party have continuously accused Arabs of 'stealing' votes, while these groups have achieved unprecedented votes in the recent elections and can play a key role in forming the next government.
Respect for the People's Vote
Noam Sohlberg, the Chairman of the Election Commission and a Supreme Court judge, assured Israelis in a video message that 'your vote in the ballot box will be respected.' He emphasized: 'The elections for the 26th Knesset were conducted properly, and if there are any violations, they are being investigated.' Sohlberg also stated that these investigations will continue and 'doubts remain doubts.' He added, 'We will address these matters thoroughly and will reach the complete truth.'
With the announcement of this investigation, the Election Commission has sought to alleviate concerns, and the interim director of the commission stated on the same day that any claims of widespread problems are 'completely unfounded.'
Netanyahu's allegations regarding violations by Arab parties began on election day, following a campaign in which he portrayed them as a threat to the country. This strategy has influenced the unprecedented participation of the Arab minority in Israel, which consists of Palestinian generations that have remained since the establishment of the country in 1948 and make up about 20% of the population.
Mansour Abbas, the head of the Ra'am party, rejected these allegations and stated that his party 'has no connection to this matter' and welcomed the investigation. Qatar also called these allegations 'ridiculous and dangerous.'
Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival, who is considering whether to seek support from Arab parties in forming a government, accused the Prime Minister of 'trying to delegitimize the election results.'
Noam Sohlberg stated on Sunday that the examination of the allegations will continue and must be conducted with 'the highest level of seriousness' and emphasized that 'these statements should in no way cast doubt on the votes of the Arab community.' He added, 'Citizens who went to the polls exercised their democratic right. High participation is a positive thing, both in the Arab community and in all communities in Israel.'
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