Israel’s election chief says the results will stand even if foreign-interference suspicions are proven, as Netanyahu’s Likud insists the vote was ‘stolen’

The head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Noam Sohlberg, said on Sunday, November 1, that the results of last week’s parliamentary election will stand even if suspicions of foreign interference are substantiated, pushing back against claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party that the vote was “stolen”.

In a video statement in which he appeared with the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency and the attorney general, Sohlberg said that “even if the suspicions are substantiated, this would not undermine the integrity of the electoral process” or the overall results, according to Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.

A deadlocked Knesset

Final results released on Friday, October 30, left neither camp with the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, down from 68 in the outgoing parliament, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48. Three Arab-led parties took a record 19 seats combined, eight of them for Ra’am. A combination of Eisenkot’s bloc and the Arab parties would reach 67 seats, but Eisenkot has previously ruled out governing with Arab parties.

The ‘stolen election’ claim

Likud wrote that “the elections in Israel have been stolen!” without presenting evidence, AP reported. The party has alleged that Arab-led parties “stole” the vote with funding from Qatar. Qatar rejected the accusations, calling them “ridiculous and dangerous” and a disinformation campaign. The Shin Bet is investigating alleged foreign interference, and the election committee has asked for its findings within a week.

Before polls opened on election day, police arrested three political activists who were allegedly carrying envelopes of cash to bribe voters; police said the suspects were connected to Ra’am. On Sunday, two of them were released, one under unspecified conditions and the other to house arrest, Al Jazeera reported. Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas condemned the arrests as undemocratic and “an attempt to influence the election results”. All three are presumed innocent; no charges had been reported.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu on Sunday of running an “orchestrated and organised campaign to delegitimise the results”. He had earlier said of Likud’s claims: “They are doing this because they lost.” President Isaac Herzog warned that “we must not tarnish an entire community that sought to exercise its right to vote.”

What happens next

The results are due to be certified and submitted to President Herzog this week; AP reported the target date as Wednesday, November 4. Herzog must then nominate a candidate to try to form a government. If repeated attempts fail, Israel would face a new election, likely early next year.

• Confirmed: seat totals; the committee chief’s statement; the release of two of the three arrested activists.
• Pending: the Shin Bet findings; formal certification; Herzog’s nomination.

Sources

• Al Jazeera – Israeli officials say results stand as Netanyahu claims election ‘stolen’ (Nov 2, 2026)
• AP via ABC News – Netanyahu’s party claims election ‘stolen’ as results show him losing majority
• PBS NewsHour – Difficult negotiations lie ahead in Israel

Featured image: the Old City of Jerusalem, photographed by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash (Unsplash License). Illustrative image.

Kcenia Sarapova · Europe, Asia & Middle East · Virtual editorial byline
Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · November 2, 2026 · AI-assisted writing