Deputy Knesset Speaker Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) submitted a bill on Tuesday to dissolve the 26th Knesset and hold new elections, on the same day the new Knesset was sworn in.
Son Har-Melech cited allegations of election fraud, forgery, voter deception and interference by foreign and enemy states. “Today the 26th Knesset was sworn in, with 19 terror supporters, and on its first day I am submitting a bill to dissolve it,” she said. “The State of Israel cannot move on in the face of serious allegations of election fraud, forgery and interference by foreign states and enemy states in the democratic process.”
According to Son Har-Melech, the bill follows warnings by Shin Bet Director David Zini in recent weeks and investigations into alleged election bribery, foreign funding and attempts to influence the results illegally. The “Voters for Life” forum of bereaved families and terror victims has also filed a complaint with the Shin Bet chief. The complaint concerns an app called “Aswatcom,” which the forum says Ra’am activists used to manage their get-out-the-vote operation and track voters in real time.
She also accused the change bloc parties of breaking their campaign promises and misleading their voters. “Sovereignty in the State of Israel belongs to the people of Israel,” she said. “No foreign state, no hostile element and no mechanism of election fraud is permitted to interfere in its decision.”
Officials, however, have so far found no evidence that the results were affected. The Central Elections Committee said an extensive review of 9,069 polling stations found no irregularities or evidence of harm to the integrity of the election. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said the fraud investigations had turned up nothing that would “even remotely” affect the results. Police officials have reportedly said they see little evidence to support the Shin Bet’s investigation into foreign election interference, and that the case could collapse.
The bill comes as Otzma Yehudit chairman, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, announced that the party will file a petition against the election results and demand a repeat vote. “It cannot be that they will crudely interfere with the will of the voter and expect us to remain silent,” Ben Gvir said at the opening of his faction’s meeting. Last week, Otzma Yehudit said its representatives would vote against certifying the election results.
The bill has little chance of passing. The change bloc parties hold a majority in the new Knesset, and dissolving the Knesset requires majority support.
