Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there are “serious suspicions” of foreign interference in Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary election.
“There are serious suspicions that foreign states took part, investing enormous sums of money, in attempts to influence the outcome of the election in Israel,” he said.
“We must get to the whole truth, immediately and without concealment. The integrity of elections is the cornerstone of democracy. We must defend it, and we must defend our country,” Netanyahu said.
The Likud party, led by Netanyahu, has accused Arab parties of election fraud. But Judge Noam Solberg, chair of the Central Elections Committee, stressed on Sunday that the election was conducted properly and that its results reflect the will of the voters. He also stressed that the ongoing investigation into suspected foreign interference does not undermine the outcome of the vote.
Netanyahu also called for a “broad national government” to be formed under his leadership, open to all Zionist parties.
According to him, a government dependent on Arab parties would be unable to fight radical Islam and would divide Israeli society. “Such a government would not only be unable to fight our enemies, but would simply tear us apart from within. It is a question of our survival,” he said, speaking in front of an Israeli flag.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog received the official election results on Wednesday. Neither of the two main blocs won a majority of 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, while the opposition groups gathered around former army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot won 48. The remaining 19 went to Arab parties, with which neither of the main blocs wants to form a coalition. That means difficult negotiations and the risk of another election. (PAP)
