Israeli Election Chief Says Results Will Stand as Likud Alleges Theft

Noam Sohlberg, head of Israel's Central Elections Committee, said on 2 November 2026 that the results of the general election would stand even if suspicions of foreign interference are substantiated. Speaking in a video appearance alongside the head of Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, and the attorney general, he said that substantiated suspicions would not undermine the integrity of the electoral process or the results as a whole.

His remarks came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party questioned the outcome. Likud declared in a statement that the elections had been stolen. It claimed, without providing evidence, that Arab-led parties stole the vote, and that those parties had accepted funding from Qatar in connection with the election. Qatar rejected the allegations of interference, calling them a disinformation campaign. The Financial Times reported that Netanyahu had claimed the elections were stolen by foreign entities.

The dispute also centres on a bribery case. Israeli police arrested three political activists before the polls opened on election day, while they were carrying envelopes of cash that police alleged were meant to bribe voters. Police said the suspects were connected to the Arab-led Ra'am party, which won eight seats. Two of the three were later released. One of the released men was freed on conditions that were not specified, and another was ordered to remain under house arrest. Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas denounced the arrests as undemocratic and an attempt to influence the election results.

The official count gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot 48, in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel's parliament. Israel's three Arab-led parties together won a record 19 seats. Eisenkot, the main opposition leader, accused Netanyahu of running an orchestrated and organised campaign to delegitimise the results. Opposition parties had earlier accused Netanyahu of trying to undermine the results. Netanyahu has suggested that joining with Arab parties would be treason, according to PBS.

The numbers matter for who can form a government. Eisenkot had previously ruled out a coalition with Arab parties, and a coalition of those parties with his bloc would hold 67 seats. Earlier reporting said a commission would look into possible foreign interference in the election.

Next steps are procedural. The results were due to be officially certified during the week of 2 November. After certification, President Isaac Herzog must nominate a candidate to try to form a new government.