Sohlberg rejects Likud hold on election results

Tensions rose within the Israeli election authorities on Monday as the outgoing government sought to halt the official certification of the recent vote. Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg issued a formal rejection of Likud’s demand for a pre-publication briefing on suspected foreign interference. He wrote to Likud representative Ilan Bombach, who serves as a deputy chairman of the committee, to clarify the legal boundaries of their power.

Sohlberg stated that the results of the election do not rely on the consent of the majority group in the outgoing Knesset or its representatives. He warned that interpreting the committee’s powers to allow for a block on publication would extend the term of the current parliament. According to Sohlberg, such an interpretation would contradict fundamental democratic principles.

The completed count leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats. This number falls short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. The official results are scheduled to be published in the official gazette and submitted to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday. This deadline aligns with Section 11 of Basic Law: The Knesset, which requires publication within eight days of the vote.

Bombach had sought an urgent meeting with the committee leadership, including Shin Bet Director David Zini, before the Wednesday session. He demanded details on the suspicions, investigative steps, and findings regarding the alleged interference. Bombach argued that the seriousness of the allegations and the uncertainty surrounding their scope prevented members from approving the results as if nothing had occurred. He noted that he holds a high security clearance and that members could sign confidentiality undertakings to review classified material.

Sohlberg rejected the demand for an investigative briefing, stating it fell outside the authority of the committee’s leadership and plenum. He cited Regulation 125 of the Knesset Elections Regulations, which assigns the responsibility of totaling valid votes and calculating seat distribution to the chairman and his deputies. The full committee’s role is limited to approving those calculations. Sohlberg emphasized that neither body is empowered to invalidate votes, substitute different results, or decide that the results will not be published.

The chairman explained that approving the calculations does not grant the committee a political veto over the electorate’s decision. He warned that disclosing information beyond what had already been made public was expected to disrupt the ongoing investigation. Sohlberg noted that the Shin Bet, police, and State Attorney’s Office are working intensively to complete the investigation as soon as possible.

The dispute follows days of Likud allegations that Arab parties had stolen the election. The party called on other political groups not to rely on Arab representatives to form a government or replace the Knesset speaker. Police officials previously stated they had no investigative or intelligence support for the broader stolen-election claims. Sohlberg’s letter follows his public statement on Sunday that even if foreign-funding suspicions were substantiated, they would not undermine the integrity of the election as a whole.

Likud challenged Sohlberg’s assurance, asking how he could reach that conclusion before the investigation ended. Sohlberg cited a specific section of the Basic Law that permits a Knesset term extension only through legislation supported by at least 80 MKs. This mechanism applies under special circumstances preventing elections from being held on time and for no longer than those circumstances require. He characterized Bombach’s request as effectively seeking such an extension based on suspicions that are still under investigation.

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, accused Likud and Netanyahu of attacking the legitimacy of the results and the elections committee. He described their conduct as a direct attack on Israeli democracy. Those entitled to challenge the results may do so in court under the conditions set by law, Sohlberg wrote, leaving the committee with no discretion to disregard the statutory deadline for publication.