BNN Election Coverage | Powered by The Petek Investigators suspect money originating in Qatar was transferred under the guise of legitimate donations as part of an effort to influence voting, according to Israel Hayom…

BNN Election Coverage | Powered by The Petek Investigators suspect money originating in Qatar was transferred under the guise of legitimate donations as part of an effort to influence voting, according to Israel Hayom. The suspected funding method is being examined as part of the inquiry into foreign interference in the election. A source familiar with the investigation told the newspaper that those involved could face lengthy prison sentences if the suspicions are substantiated. Police said four additional men were arrested for questioning Thursday morning in the election-bribery investigation, following the arrest of three southern residents on Tuesday morning, election day. The case was transferred to Lahav 433, where police said the four were being questioned. The latest police statement updates the earlier report of three additional arrests. The developments follow Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg's instruction to Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate suspicions of foreign funding and election bribery. In his letter dated Wednesday, Sohlberg directed the agency to seek evidence that could substantiate or refute the suspicions and requested any findings in the coming week, citing deadlines for election appeals.

\*BNN Election Coverage | Powered by The Petek\* Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg has instructed Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate suspicions of foreign funding and election bribery…

\*BNN Election Coverage | Powered by The Petek\* Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg has instructed Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate suspicions of foreign funding and election bribery, according to a letter dated Wednesday and made public today. In the letter, Sohlberg said he had been presented with serious suspicions that foreign actors had sought to improperly influence the election through funding. He wrote, "I cannot attest to the nature of these suspicions," and instructed the Shin Bet to obtain evidence that could substantiate or refute them. The letter does not identify a country or political party. Ynet reported a possible Qatari connection to the suspected funding and said the Shin Bet held information beyond the material submitted by Likud. The agency declined to comment on the inquiry, according to Ynet. Likud has called the affair "Ra'amgate," accused foreign actors of buying votes for Arab parties and declared: "They stole the elections in Israel!" The party demanded immediate action by the Shin Bet and police, and urged other parties not to cooperate with Ra'am or the Joint List to form a government or replace the Knesset Speaker. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also called for the Shin Bet to question Arab party leaders today, according to Ynet. The allegations follow the arrest of three Negev residents before voting began on Tuesday. Police said they suspected the men of planning to pay people to vote for Ra'am, and that searches uncovered envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels. Ynet reported that three additional suspects were arrested today in the investigation into suspected bribery for Ra'am votes. In its election-day response, Ra'am said its activists had been arrested without justification and filed a complaint with the Central Elections Committee, arguing that the party was being targeted, according to Israel Hayom. Mako reported that all three original suspects denied wrongdoing; a lawyer for one said the cash was intended to pay for transportation. Earlier this morning, police said there was no investigative or intelligence evidence supporting Likud's broader election-theft allegations, according to Walla. Following publication of Sohlberg's letter, a senior police official told Ynet that every complaint and suspicion brought to police would be examined thoroughly. Sohlberg asked the Shin Bet to bring him any findings during the coming week, citing the legal timetable for election appeals.

_The double envelopes are being counted._ These are the votes of soldiers, hospital patients, prisoners and diplomats: the blue ballot envelope sealed inside a second one with the voter's details. The Central Elections…

_The double envelopes are being counted._ These are the votes of soldiers, hospital patients, prisoners and diplomats: the blue ballot envelope sealed inside a second one with the voter's details. The Central Elections Committee expects 430,000 to 480,000 of them, worth 11 or 12 seats. The count as of 00:59: Netanyahu's bloc 53, the Change bloc 48, the Arab parties 19. It takes 61 to govern. Follow it live → https://thepetek.com/results

_BNN Election Night Coverage | Powered by The Petek_ Voter turnout reached 77.7% by 10 PM Israel time, the highest in a Knesset election since 1999, according to the Central Elections Committee. Its updated figures show…

_BNN Election Night Coverage | Powered by The Petek_ Voter turnout reached 77.7% by 10 PM Israel time, the highest in a Knesset election since 1999, according to the Central Elections Committee. Its updated figures show 5,695,682 people voted out of 7,331,981 eligible voters. The committee's figures put turnout 3.4 percentage points above the 74.3% recorded at 8 PM, and 7.1 percentage points above the 70.6% recorded in the 2022 election. The committee says the turnout total includes voters who used double envelopes. Turnout measures how many people voted; the results for each party will be determined by the ballot count.