Likud demands delay in election results certification amid Shin Bet probe

Likud requested Israel's Central Elections Committee to delay certifying 2026 election results until a Shin Bet investigation into alleged foreign funding is complete. Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg rejected the request, stating the committee lacks authority to withhold results. The probe focuses on suspected foreign funds to a Joint List MK.

The Israel Democracy Institute published a legal opinion stating that the Central Elections Committee is not authorized to delay or prevent the publication of Knesset election results, even if its members refuse to approve the seat allocation. The opinion, written by attorney Nasrin Abu Asala on October 20, clarifies that the law requires the committee to publish the results within eight days of the election and does not allow publication to be conditioned on the consent of its members. According to the opinion, the approval authority of the committee plenum is limited to verifying seat allocation calculations and does not include political considerations or investigating claims about the integrity of the elections. In case of refusal to publish, the legal course is an urgent petition to the High Court of Justice, which can order the committee to fulfill its duty.