Ben-Gvir accuses Arab parties of election fraud as Qatar denies involvement
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has accused Arab political parties of manipulating Israel's general election, alleging widespread double voting and financial interference by Qatar.
In a video address released on Friday, Ben-Gvir claimed voters had cast multiple ballots and received thousands of fuel vouchers funded by Qatar.
“The money is Qatari money; the hands are the hands of Ahmad Tibi,” he said, accusing the senior Arab politician of involvement in the alleged fraud. Ben-Gvir also accused Qatar of attempting to influence Israel's political system through financial support.
However, Israel's Central Elections Committee rejected allegations of systematic voter fraud, saying its investigation would not change the election results.
Qatar dismissed the accusations as “ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure,” while Tibi denied wrongdoing and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to discredit the vote.
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The dispute follows Israel's October 27 election, which saw Netanyahu's governing bloc lose its parliamentary majority.
Final results released on Friday gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot.
Arab-led parties secured a record 19 seats, nearly doubling their representation and potentially becoming decisive in coalition negotiations. With neither major bloc reaching the 61 seats required for a majority, Israel faces uncertainty over the formation of its next government.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
