Likud Demands Police and Shin Bet Inquiry Into Alleged Election Fraud

Likud called on Israel Police and the Shin Bet on Wednesday, October 28, to investigate alleged election offenses, accusing Arab parties of improperly influencing the vote. In an afternoon statement, the party said it was forwarding hundreds of testimonies and items it described as evidence to those bodies and the Central Elections Committee. The allegations included envelopes containing cash and Ra'am ballot slips, threats or violence directed at polling-committee members, and several people entering the area behind the voting screen together. Likud also alleged voting with duplicate identities, mismatches between numbers of ballot envelopes and voters, and use of software it said was prohibited for mobilizing voters. "We demand a thorough investigation by the police and Shin Bet," Likud said. The party also demanded immediate attention from the Central Elections Committee. It characterized the alleged conduct as a serious infringement of democratic voting rights and called for an examination of the material it said it was submitting. The announcement presented Likud's accusations and requests for official action. It did not announce an investigative finding or a decision to invalidate votes. The claims about the alleged offenses and the quantity of evidence are the party's account; the statement did not establish that the authorities had confirmed them.