Eisenkot Slams Netanyahu’s Attempt to Disown Israel’s Election Results
Writing on the US social media platform X, Eisenkot branded the effort “despicable and malicious.”
“The despicable and malicious attempt to disown the election results, challenge the public’s will, smear an entire community and drag Israel into new elections has failed,” Eisenkot wrote.
“Only someone who realizes he has lost would be prepared to wage such a crude delegitimization campaign, even at the cost of further damaging public trust in state institutions,” he added.
Eisenkot called the results of the 26th Knesset elections “firm and clear,” and welcomed remarks from Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg affirming the integrity of the vote.
“Ignore the background noise and the political maneuvers that change every hour. The people are sovereign, and they have spoken: The government of failure has no majority and has lost the election,” he said.
Netanyahu and Likud accuse Qatar of meddling through funding meant to boost turnout among Arab voters and sway the outcome. Likud says it holds recordings and other materials documenting bribes, including cash and fuel vouchers offered in exchange for votes, and labels the alleged activity “election theft.” The party has not publicly produced evidence establishing Qatari interference or widespread electoral fraud.
Qatar rejected the accusations Thursday, calling them a “new disinformation campaign” designed to pull it into Israel’s internal political disputes. Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, also denied any attempt to unlawfully influence the vote through foreign funding.
Earlier Sunday, Sohlberg said voting had proceeded properly and the results reflected the will of the electorate. An Israeli daily newspaper quoted him as saying that claims the available material and evidence could cast doubt on the election results as a whole were “incorrect.” He said officials are examining potential irregularities and suspicions, stressing that even if substantiated, they would not undermine the overall integrity of the election or its outcome.
Sohlberg spoke with Shin Bet chief David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara present.
With every ballot counted, Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, against 48 for the opposition camp led by Eisenkot and 19 for Arab parties. Neither main bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a governing majority.
Turnout finished at 77.9%, the highest since 1999, according to the elections committee.
The outcome leaves Israel in a political deadlock. Forming a government will hinge on deals between blocs, and opposition parties remain split over relying on Arab parties’ support.
The committee is due to submit the official results to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, ahead of his consultations with Knesset parties on whom to task with forming a government.
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