Netanyahu cites foreign interference suspicions after Likud losses

Israel is currently in the post-election phase where President Isaac Herzog meets with party leaders to assemble the next government. Amidst this process, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised new concerns about external influence on the voting results.

Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that there are "serious suspicions" that foreign states spent considerable sums to sway the outcome of the elections. He shared these remarks in a video posted to social media following the recent vote.

The Likud party suffered resounding defeats in the election, a result Netanyahu linked to the challenges posed by what he called "extremist Islam." He argued that this force is tearing apart countries in Europe and threatening Israel from both inside and outside.

In the video, Netanyahu claimed that a government dependent on Islamist parties cannot effectively confront this threat. He noted that these parties deny the existence of a Jewish state and prioritize their political interests over the national interest.

The Prime Minister specifically mentioned Judge Solberg, the chair of the Election Committee. He said Solberg directed the Shin Bet to open a security investigation into the matter. Netanyahu added that Solberg determined all obstacles should be removed to allow the investigation to proceed fully.

Netanyahu described the purity of elections as the foundation of democracy and insisted that the truth must be revealed without delay or softening. He called for a broad national government led by Likud that includes all components of the national bloc and any Zionist parties willing to join.

He criticized leaders of the left bloc for focusing on building a narrow minority government supported by what he termed supporters of terror. According to Netanyahu, they are setting impossible conditions to prevent the formation of a broad national coalition.