Officials say Israel's election results will stand despite bribery claims

Netanyahu's political bloc dropped to 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, losing the majority it held in the outgoing parliament. This loss occurred in the election held on Oct. 27, a result that has triggered a dispute over the validity of the vote.

Israeli officials confirmed on Sunday that the election results will stand. Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the elections committee, stated that even if suspicions of foreign interference are proven true, the integrity of the electoral process remains intact. He made this declaration while seated between Israel's attorney general and the head of the Shin Bet intelligence service.

The Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claims that Arab-led parties stole the election. The party pointed to specific incidents, including the arrest of three political activists found with envelopes of cash before polls opened. Police arrested four more suspects on Oct. 29, linking them to the Islamist party Ra'am. Ra'am denies any involvement in the alleged bribery scheme.

A judge reviewed police requests for further restrictions on the three initial suspects on Sunday. One suspect was released under unspecified conditions, another was placed on house arrest for eight days, and the detention of the third was extended for two days. Mansour Abbas, leader of Ra'am, which won eight seats, called the arrests undemocratic and an attempt to influence the results.

The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties secured the remaining 19 seats. Together, these groups have enough members to form a government. President Isaac Herzog will begin meeting with elected parties this week to determine who he believes has the best chance of forming a coalition. If negotiations fail, the country may face a new election early next year.

Netanyahu has suggested that Eisenkot joining with Arab parties would be treasonous. On Sunday night, a few dozen protesters gathered outside Eisenkot's home to voice their concerns. One protester, Shoshana Idasis, said the group wants to keep the country a Jewish state. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of an organized campaign to delegitimize the results, including insinuations that Qatar supported the opposition. Qatar has denied funding any activities meant to influence the outcome.