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President Isaac Herzog called Thursday for a full investigation of election-related allegations and said he had spoken with Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg and Shin Bet chief David Zini. Qatar separately denied allegations that it had interfered in Israel’s election or funded activities intended to influence the outcome.
In a video statement posted Thursday, Herzog said he was closely following the investigation into suspicions published that morning. He urged investigators to examine the evidence and suspicions fully and called for offenders to be punished under the law.
Herzog also warned against stigmatizing an entire public that had sought to exercise its right to vote and take part in democracy. His statement did not identify Qatar or announce a finding that foreign interference had occurred.
Qatar rejects the allegation
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari rejected allegations involving his country in an English-language statement Thursday.
“We categorically deny allegations that Qatar has interfered in Israeli elections or funded any activities intended to influence their outcome,” he wrote.
Al Ansari said Israeli political and media figures had accused Qatar of buying influence across competing political camps and, most recently, the Arab vote. He described those accusations as “ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure” and said Qatar had no involvement in Israel’s political or electoral competition. These are his responses to allegations, not findings by Israeli investigators.
Sohlberg sought evidence to establish or disprove suspicions
In a letter dated October 28, Sohlberg directed Zini to investigate suspicions of improper foreign-funded influence on the election and to seek evidence that would substantiate or refute them. He explicitly said he could not attest to the substance of the suspicions.
JBizNews reviewed a two-page scan of the signed letter reproduced publicly. The letter was not found on the CEC’s website during this review, and the scan has not been independently authenticated against an official copy.
The letter does not name Qatar, Turkey, an Israeli party or a group of voters. It does not establish that foreign interference occurred or that the election result was altered. It asks Zini to make every effort to bring findings, if any, within the coming week, citing election-appeal deadlines.
Herzog said he would meet representatives of all the factions after receiving the official results, ahead of consultations scheduled for the following week.
JBizNews Desk | Jerusalem
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