Likud accuses Arab parties of ‘stealing’ Israeli election
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on L’essentiel
Likud, the party of outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused the Arab-majority parties of “stealing the election”, as they could win a record 17 seats. The party says it has evidence of fraud and pressure, an accusation reported by AFP after the 27 October vote.
The Likud party of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Arab-majority parties of “stealing” the 27 October parliamentary election. It says they could win a record 17 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, AFP reports.
The party says it has submitted “hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence” to the police, the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, and the Electoral Commission concerning alleged fraud at Arab polling stations. It is calling for an investigation and legal action. Raam party leader Mansour Abbas had earlier accused Netanyahu of lying about the allegations.
The acting director general of the Central Elections Committee, Dean Livneh, reported an incident of vote-buying before polling stations opened, but said no other such cases had been reported in the country. Raam and the Joint List, two Arab-majority groups, performed better than expected, while Netanyahu cannot form a majority with his far-right allies.
The Likud’s allegations come after the Israeli election results, which left the Knesset without a majority. The day before the vote, Netanyahu’s rival Gadi Eisenkot accused him of preparing to challenge the results (Eisenkot’s warning).
