Likud MK quits election panel, Otzma Yehudit to vote against certifying results

Likud MK Amit Halevi resigns from the Central Elections Committee, alleging election interference, while Otzma Yehudit announces that its representatives will vote against certifying the election results, according to statements carried by Hebrew media.

Halevi alleges without providing evidence that foreign countries interfered in the election and that some lawmakers “bought their seats with bribe money.”

“As members of the Elections Committee, we can and must certify only the free choice of Israeli citizens, and not the choice of the rulers of Qatar, Iran or Turkey,” he says.

“I appeal to the entire Israeli public not to lend a hand to undermining the fundamental principle of free elections and dealing a fatal blow to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Otzma Yehudit says it decided to oppose certification of the October 27 election results after several unnamed parties asked it to consider abstaining.

“We will not deceive ourselves by abstaining. The elections were rigged, the results are fraudulent and foreign countries interfered,” the party says, without presenting evidence for its claims. “We will therefore vote against and refuse to certify the results today.”

The statements come after the Central Elections Committee said an extensive review of 9,069 polling stations found no irregularities or evidence of harm to election integrity or changes to the results.