Israel: suspicions of fraud will not alter results, says the electoral commission

The investigations will continue, but they will not call into question the results of the Israeli legislatures of 27 October, says Sohlberg. In a statement filmed on Sunday, 1 November, the president of the electoral commission described suspicions as "serious", while stating that their possible confirmation would not compromise the regularity of the process or the results as a whole. BFMTV, Watson and Radio-Canada report this same position. [S1] [S3] [S4]

A separate inquiry into the validity of the ballot

The election commission seized the Shin Bet, the Israeli internal intelligence, the day after the vote. The suspicions are about foreign funding intended to influence the electoral process, with a possible security dimension. Sohlberg spoke alongside Shin Bet leader David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. According to Ynetnews, he stated that his assessment was shared by these two officials. [S1] [S4] [S7]

Ynetnews adds on the organisation of investigations: a joint team involving Shin Bet, the police and the prosecutor's office must examine the charges, followed by the chairman of the commission. It distinguishes the information justifying an inquiry from the solid evidence necessary to contest an election result. It presents the continuation of investigations and the completion of the electoral process as two complementary responsibilities. [S7]

This assurance remains the responsibility of the authorities, not the conclusion of a completed investigation. Sohlberg states that investigations are based on classified information whose details cannot be made public at this stage. He also claims that most of the recently published information on the investigation is incorrect. The accessible elements therefore do not make it possible to establish the precise origin, extent or beneficiaries of any illicit financing. [S7]

Political accusations challenged

The controversy is directed at Raam and the Unified List, two Arab formations that together obtained 19 seats, according to the results reported by Radio-Canada. Officials and the media referred to funds from Qatar that were allegedly used to buy voices. The camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relayed these accusations, rejected by Doha and the parties concerned. The Sohlberg statement confirms suspicions of foreign financing, but does not publicly establish a Qatari origin. [S1] [S3] [S4]

The Likud, from Netanyahu, contests the magistrate's reasoning: he finds it surprising to call suspicions particularly serious while excluding their consequences on the results before the end of the investigation. Conversely, Gadi Eisenkot, the prime rival of the Prime Minister, accuses him of seeking to delegitimize the election. Mansour Abbas, leader of Raam, blames him for lying. These reactions express political positions, not judicial conclusions. [S1] [S4]

Individual responsibilities to be established

On the judicial side, the police had announced the arrest of three people in possession of envelopes and cash, suspected of attempting to buy votes for Raam. The party denies any involvement. On Sunday, according to police, the Beersheva Court ordered the release of a suspect, extended the pretrial detention of a second and placed the third under house arrest. There are no convictions in the reports cited. [S1] [S3] [S4]

These measures concern persons identified by the survey; they are not sufficient to demonstrate the responsibility of a party or its voters. The sources consulted also do not detail the evidence linking these arrests to suspected foreign financing. Sohlberg specifically requested that the investigation not discredit the vote of Arab citizens, recalling that their participation is a matter of exercising a democratic right. [S1] [S4] [S7]

The challenge for voters is thus to preserve both the freedom to vote in the face of possible purchases of votes and respect for the votes cast. This is the distinction defended by the commission, while the Likud contests his confidence in the election outcome. The confidentiality of the information currently limits the public assessment of the basis of this assurance. [S1] [S7]

The institutional timetable maintained

The official publication of the results and their transmission to President Isaac Herzog remain scheduled on Wednesday. The latter must then consult the elected formations and give a party leader the mandate to try to form a government. No party with the majority alone, Eisenkot could seek the support of Arab parties. The inquiry must therefore continue without interrupting this timetable, according to the commitment of the chairman of the electoral commission. [S1] [S3] [S4] [S7]