Israel election fraud row deepens as attorney general seeks probe progress
Israel's attorney general has asked intelligence services to provide progress on a probe into alleged poll fraud involving Arab parties, as a dispute over the 27 October election results intensifies. The row comes as President Isaac Herzog is due to receive the official results and begin meeting political parties. The election produced no clear majority, leaving coalition talks uncertain.
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Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said that if the Shin Bet or any other authority has evidence that would justify an investigation, it should present it. She also said no one should be investigated without evidentiary grounds. Her comments followed media reports that the head of Shin Bet, David Zini, had requested to question the leaders of Arab parties as part of a suspected electoral fraud inquiry.
Likud, the party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused the attorney general of obstructing and covering up what it called serious manipulation of the electoral process by foreign actors. The party had also demanded that publication of the results be delayed until investigations launched by Shin Bet were completed, but the electoral commission said on Tuesday evening that results would not be delayed. Likud and Mr Netanyahu have in recent days also flooded social media with accusations against the Arab parties, which won a record 19 seats in parliament.
The dispute matters because it touches both the legitimacy of the vote and the process for forming the next government. Israel's president plays a central role after elections by consulting party leaders and deciding who should be tasked with trying to build a coalition. When no bloc wins a clear majority, as in this election, the outcome can quickly become a test of institutional trust as well as political strength.
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The allegations have also sharpened tensions between the governing camp, the security services and the legal system. Ms Baharav-Miara said Shin Bet had failed to pass material from the investigation to the special investigation team under her supervision. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot accused Likud and Mr Netanyahu of trying to drag the country into a dangerous constitutional crisis, while the Arab parties rejected the accusations outright.
What remains unclear is whether the intelligence probe will produce evidence that leads to formal questioning or any wider legal action. It is also not yet clear how the president's consultations will shape the next stage of coalition talks. The immediate focus now is on the official results, the response from party leaders and whether the fraud allegations alter the already fragile post-election landscape.
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