Israel Police Say No Evidence Backs Likud Election Fraud Claims

The Israel Police stated on Thursday that there is no investigative or intelligence evidence to support claims that the recent Knesset election was stolen. The force released a statement clarifying that election day saw only a small number of unusual incidents concerning electoral integrity, a rate comparable to previous cycles.

The dispute began on Wednesday when the Likud party issued a formal accusation against Arab parties. Likud alleged that these groups engaged in widespread electoral fraud, including bribery, intimidation, and ballot manipulation. The party demanded an immediate investigation by law enforcement authorities to probe the alleged irregularities.

Likud detailed several specific mechanisms it claimed were used to distort the results. These included thousands of cash envelopes found alongside ballot slips for the Ra'am party and instances of threats or violence against polling station committee members. The party also pointed to multiple voters entering booths together and the use of duplicate identities.

The ruling party further cited discrepancies between the number of cash envelopes and registered voters. It accused Arab parties of deploying prohibited software to mobilize voters, describing the process as a series of serious criminal offenses aimed at supporting terrorism and undermining the state.

Police reviewed these complaints and found the allegations unsubstantiated. No evidence establishing a systematic manipulation of election results by Arab parties has been made public. The force emphasized that the volume of unusual incidents remained low relative to past elections.

The party's accusations have not been independently verified. While Likud maintains that the results were compromised through criminal conduct, law enforcement officials have found no data to back the assertion of a stolen election.