JERUSALEM — Israel’s Central Elections Committee head, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, moved to quell mounting political volatility on Sunday, declaring that an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign funding of Arab Israeli parties will not invalidate the results of the nation’s recent, closely contested election.
“Your choice at the ballot box will be respected,” Sohlberg said in a video message, appearing alongside the head of the Shin Bet security agency and the attorney general. Stressing that the election was “conducted properly,” he insisted that current allegations remain unverified, stating, “Suspicions remain suspicions.”
The inquiry, launched by the Shin Bet last week at Sohlberg’s request, seeks to determine whether the Arab Israeli party Raam received illicit financial backing from Qatar. Both the party and the Qatari government have categorically denied the accusations, with Doha dismissing the claims as “ridiculous and dangerous.”
The investigation has become a focal point of a fierce post-election standoff. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have repeatedly alleged that Arab factions “stolen” the vote, using the controversy to cast doubt on the legitimacy of a potential opposition-led government. In a statement issued Sunday, Likud criticized Sohlberg’s assessment, arguing that it was “puzzling” to acknowledge the gravity of the allegations while simultaneously claiming they would not impact the vote. “Until the investigation is concluded, a dark cloud hangs over the election results in Israel,” the party declared.
Conversely, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot praised the committee’s stance. “The vile and malicious attempt to deny the election results, to undermine the will of the public, to smear an entire community, and to drag Israel into additional elections has failed,” Eisenkot wrote on X.
The urgency of the dispute stems from the election’s inconclusive outcome. Neither the bloc led by Netanyahu nor the opposition led by Eisenkot secured the 61-seat parliamentary majority required to form a government. With Arab groupings like Raam and the Joint List securing a combined 19 seats, they have become potential kingmakers, complicating the path to power for both sides.
Sohlberg emphasized that the ongoing probe must not be used to delegitimize the electorate. “These remarks must in no way cast doubt on the vote of the Arab community,” he said. “The citizens who went to the polls exercised their democratic right.”
Parallel to the foreign funding probe, an Israeli court on Sunday ordered the release of one of three individuals arrested on election day for alleged vote-buying on behalf of Raam. While the court extended the custody of another, the presiding judge, Eran Tzabari, noted that the case against the suspects had “weakened” since the initial arrests. Raam has consistently denied any connection to the alleged vote-buying schemes, which had been heavily publicized by Likud during the final hours of the campaign.
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