The acting elections chief Israel Dean Livne has rejected allegations of widespread fraud in the October 27 parliamentary elections, saying the vote was conducted lawfully and there is no evidence of systematic violations.
BY PC Bureau
October 29: Israel’s acting Central Elections Committee director general, Dean Livne, has rejected allegations of widespread fraud in the October 27 parliamentary elections, saying the vote was conducted lawfully and there was no evidence of systematic violations of electoral integrity.
In a letter to Yesh Atid lawmaker Vladimir Beliak, a member of the elections committee, Livne said polling-station procedures had been rigorously safeguarded. He added that, to the best of the committee’s knowledge, allegations of systematic electoral violations had no factual basis.
The statement comes amid a political row after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party alleged that Arab parties had benefited from fraud following their strong electoral performance. Preliminary tallies indicated that Arab political lists had secured a combined 19 seats, with the Joint List winning 12 and Ra’am seven.
Likud alleged a range of irregularities, including bribery, intimidation, forged ballots, double voting and discrepancies between the number of voters and ballot envelopes. The party said it had submitted hundreds of testimonies and other material to the police, the Shin Bet domestic security agency and the elections committee.
Israeli police have rejected the suggestion that the available evidence establishes widespread fraud. Israel Police oOfficials have said that complaints will be investigated, but no evidence has emerged to substantiate claims of systematic manipulation or unlawful vote gains by Arab parties.
A separate inquiry has added to the controversy. Israel Elections committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg has directed Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate suspicions of improper influence through funding from foreign entities allegedly acting against Israeli interests. He has sought findings within a week because of statutory deadlines for election appeals.
netanyahu continuing to sow doubt in israeli election results, alleges foreign interference.
familiar playbook…
(bibi knows his best chance to remain pm is to ensure jewish opposition won’t work with arab parties. damage to democracy: not his problem) https://t.co/12993PfDhV
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) October 29, 2026
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Livne said the material relating to this inquiry involved classified intelligence that remained under review and had not been substantiated. Reports have raised suspicions of possible Qatari and Turkish links, while Qatar has dismissed suggestions of involvement as “ridiculous and dangerous”.
The vote count was still being completed on October 29, with regular ballot boxes tallied and special double-envelope ballots still being processed. Preliminary results placed Likud in the lead with around 27 seats, followed by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party with about 21. Neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor its opponents appeared close to the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
Turnout reached approximately 77.7%, exceeding the level recorded in the 2022 election.
Opposition figures, including Eisenkot, have cautioned against allowing allegations of foreign interference to delay the new Knesset’s swearing-in. Arab parties have rejected the fraud accusations, describing them as incitement and calling for cooperation to form an alternative government.
The final outcome will depend on the completion of the count, the certification process and the findings of any formal investigations. For now, Livne’s statement draws a distinction between allegations that require examination and evidence capable of establishing systematic electoral fraud.
