Police Find No Evidence Backing Likud Vote Claims

Israel Police said Thursday it had no investigative or intelligence evidence supporting Likud's assertion that the Knesset election had been stolen. In a morning statement, police reported that only a small number of unusual incidents affecting electoral integrity occurred on election day, a figure the force said was low compared with earlier contests. "It should be emphasized that there is no investigative or intelligence evidence to support the claims," the statement said.

Likud issued its own statement Wednesday accusing Arab parties of taking the election through bribery, intimidation, forgery, and the use of prohibited software to mobilize voters. The party called for law enforcement to open an immediate investigation. Among its listed allegations: thousands of cash-filled envelopes placed next to Ra'am ballot slips, threats against polling station committee members, multiple voters entering booths together, votes cast under duplicate identities, and mismatches between envelope counts and registered voter totals. Likud also alleged prohibited voter mobilization software was used.

Those allegations have not been independently verified, and no public evidence has emerged showing Arab parties systematically altered results. The dispute places a major political party's account against the national police force's own review of its investigative and intelligence material.

No investigation into Likud's claims had been announced as of Thursday.