The Likud party attacked the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, this evening (Sunday), following his statement that the election results reflect the will of the voters and will not change as a result of the ongoing investigation into suspected foreign funding and improper influence.
“It is highly perplexing that Justice Solberg acknowledges the existence of very serious suspicions regarding foreign funding, yet simultaneously determines—in advance and before the investigation has concluded—that these matters have no impact on the election results,” the Likud stated.
The party pointed to the narrow margin which, according to them, separated the current distribution of parliamentary seats from a scenario in which a seat would shift from the Ra’am party to the right-wing bloc. “Only 4,612 votes stood between a parliamentary seat shifting from Ra’am to the right-wing bloc—a change that would have completely altered the election results and the political landscape,” they argued.
The Likud’s response came after Justice Solberg appeared alongside Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). The Justice stated that “serious suspicions” had emerged regarding foreign funding intended to influence the election, though he emphasized that solid evidence would be required to challenge the results.
According to Solberg, the evidence currently available does not undermine the election results as a whole. He further noted that even if the suspicions were to be substantiated, it would not invalidate the integrity of the process or the outcome. The investigation will continue, led by a joint team comprising the Shin Bet, the Israel Police, and the State Attorney’s Office, while the official results are set to be presented to the President on Wednesday.
The Likud rejected the notion that it could already be determined that these suspicions would have no impact on the distribution of parliamentary seats. “We demand a swift and thorough investigation to safeguard the integrity of the Knesset elections and the sovereignty of the people,” the party stated. “Until the investigation concludes, a dark cloud hangs over Israel’s election results.”