Israeli President Herzog Rejects Otzma Yehudit's Election Fraud Claims During Government Formation Talks
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President Isaac Herzog dismissed allegations of a stolen election made by far-right Otzma Yehudit lawmakers, noting no evidence has been presented and that an investigative team is examining the accusations.
President Isaac Herzog met with representatives of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party on Thursday to discuss government formation after accepting the certified election results as binding. During the talks, Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer described the Arab voter turnout as a "certificate of appreciation" for his party, while party minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf claimed the election had been "bought with money." Herzog responded that the allegations remain speculative, saying, "> Everything at this stage is speculation. There is no information detailing any such amount," and urged lawmakers to avoid broad generalizations.
Herzog noted that a special investigative team comprising the Shin Bet, police and the State Prosecutor's Office has been established to examine the fraud claims, adding that investigators are pursuing the matter "with full force and would leave no stone unturned."
Otzma Yehudit lawmakers also urged Herzog to act, with lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech stating, "> The people, for the most part, do not believe the election results, especially when they hear Shin Bet chief David Zini. Mr. President, this should greatly concern you, and you must act to uncover the truth."
Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu reiterated the party's demand for an investigation, saying, "> Of course the election was stolen. What's the question? We see the outrageous numbers. There was interference in the voting, and we demand an investigation so that we can know our elections are secure and our democracy is secure."
The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party told Herzog it would not endorse any candidate to form the next government, focusing instead on legislation to protect draft exemptions for Torah students. Herzog continues consultations with all elected parties to decide which lawmaker will be tasked with forming a coalition.
Separately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a government reliant on parties he described as supporting terrorism would be unable to confront security threats, and called for a full investigation into possible foreign interference in the election.