Suspicions of foreign interference: could the elections in Israel be annulled?

The article examines the legal possibility of annulling elections in Israel following suspicions of foreign funding and election bribery. It details the grounds for challenging election results, the parties authorized to appeal, and the court's authority to annul elections or amend results. However, it emphasizes that annulling elections is an exceptional remedy requiring thorough legal investigation.

Following suspicions of foreign funding and election bribery, the question arises whether elections in Israel could be annulled. The article reviews the legal mechanisms for challenging election results, relying on Section 86 of the Knesset Elections Law. Grounds for appeal include: illegal management of elections, incorrect vote counting, illegal seat allocation, or votes obtained unlawfully. A key condition is that the flaw may have affected the results. The appeal is submitted to the Jerusalem Administrative Court within 14 days of the publication of results. The court may annul elections nationwide or in a specific polling station and order new elections, but it can also amend the results without new elections. However, the article emphasizes that annulling elections is an exceptional remedy requiring legal investigation, and the mere existence of suspicions does not lead to automatic annulment. Additionally, an appeal against the elections does not halt the Knesset's work.