Israel Police have no investigative or intelligence evidence to back Likud's allegation that Arab parties stole the election, i24NEWS reported Wednesday.
Police received 48 complaints of fraud and impersonation nationwide as of Tuesday night, compared with nearly 80 in the previous election. That is a decline of roughly 40%. Police said Election Day passed with very few incidents affecting the integrity of the vote, fewer than last time, and that neither their investigations nor intelligence supported Likud's accusations.
The police response came after a formal Likud statement, issued earlier Wednesday, accusing Arab parties of winning through bribery, threats, violence, forgery and banned voter-mobilization software. "The elections in the State of Israel were stolen by Arab parties that support terror and the elimination of the Jewish state," the party declared.
Likud stated that it was handing hundreds of testimonies and items of evidence to the police, the Shin Bet domestic security agency and the Central Elections Committee. The material concerns alleged offenses at numerous polling stations in Arab communities.
The party's specific claims include:
- Thousands of envelopes containing cash alongside ballots for Ra'am (United Arab List), an Arab party
- Intimidation of polling station officials
- Several voters entering voting booths together
- Identity fraud
- Discrepancies between the number of ballot envelopes and the number of recorded voters
Likud demanded a thorough investigation by the police and the Shin Bet. It also urged the Central Elections Committee to take immediate action, contending that the vote's integrity and its result had both been damaged.
