Israel's top lawyer says vote results stand despite interference probe
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated that current evidence is insufficient to alter the outcome of the recent Knesset elections.
By Marina Weber ·
Voters in Israel can expect the results of last month's parliamentary elections to hold, according to the nation's chief legal officer. Gali Baharav-Miara, the attorney general, declared on Sunday that she has not seen evidence strong enough to change who won the seats. This assessment holds even as security forces continue to investigate suspected foreign attempts to sway the vote.
Baharav-Miara made these remarks during the Justice Ministry's annual conference in Eilat. She addressed the ongoing concerns about external influence directly. "I am not aware of any evidentiary basis that comes even close to being able to affect the election results, or to support a claim of influence that could lead to a change in the results," she said. She added that if new information surfaces later, her office will review it according to legal standards.
The attorney general emphasized that her department operates without political bias. "When there is an evidentiary basis, whoever needs to be investigated will be investigated. This is not a matter of right or left. It is not a matter of Jew or Arab," she stated. "So it has been, and so it will be." She also praised Justice Noam Sohlberg, the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, for managing the situation with professionalism and responsibility.
The situation began with reports of foreign funding designed to influence voters. A joint team from the Shin Bet security agency, the police, and prosecutors is currently examining these funds. Last week, Sohlberg issued a similar statement, noting that even if the interference claims are proven true, the overall integrity of the election would remain intact.
Political reactions have been divided. Right-wing parties have publicly challenged the fairness of the vote. The Likud party claimed that Arab parties stole the election, a view police officials said was not supported by their findings. Separately, the Otzma Yehudit party accused Baharav-Miara and the Shin Bet's legal adviser of applying improper pressure on Shin Bet chief David Zini. The party alleged this pressure prevented Zini from finishing the investigation, though it did not specify the source of the claim.
Baharav-Miara confirmed her office will continue to update Sohlberg on the progress of the review. The legal team is working to determine if the suspected foreign funding had a measurable impact on the final tally. For now, the official position remains that the current data does not justify a recount or a change in the composition of the Knesset.
The investigation remains active. Authorities are continuing to analyze the financial trails and communications linked to the suspected foreign actors. No final ruling on the interference case has been announced, and the political parties continue to debate the findings in public forums.
