TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Government efforts to challenge last week’s election weakened Sunday as officials said the vote would not be undermined by the allegations, and a court ordered the release of suspects in one case.
In an image showing that officials were on the same page, the head of Israel’s election committee is shown sitting between Israel’s attorney general and the head of the Shin Bet intelligence service for a statement making clear that even if allegations of foreign interference raised last week were true, the vote would stand.
Netanyahu’s Likud party said, without providing evidence, that Arab parties “stole” the election in which Netanyahu’s bloc lost its majority of seats in parliament. By casting doubt on the vote, Netanyahu appears to be attempting to block any potential opposition alliance with Arab parties that could force him from office.
Likud cited a handful of cases, including the arrest of three political activists before the polls opened on October 27 with envelopes of cash, allegedly to bribe voters. Two days later, police arrested four more suspects. Police said the suspects were linked to the Islamist Raam party, which denied any involvement.
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