Lapid accuses Netanyahu backers of trying to crush Israel's democracy and steal the election

Summary

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid accused supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu's government of trying to crush Israel's democracy and steal the election with the help of government plants in the security system. In a post on X, he said this was a direct threat from people unwilling to admit defeat, and he urged state institutions to stand firm and called on his counterparts to put everything aside and form a government as quickly as possible. His remarks came amid reports that Shin Bet chief David Zini sought to question three Palestinian party leaders in an investigation into possible foreign interference in the election. Netanyahu's camp has been accused in recent days of seeking to delegitimise the results after claims that votes for Palestinian-led parties, which won a historic 19 of 120 seats, were manipulated. Law enforcement officials have found no evidence of such claims or a justification to question the leaders. The mass participation of Palestinian citizens in the election prevented both Netanyahu and challenger Gadi Eisenkot from reaching the 61 seats needed for a majority and forming a government.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   4 Nov 2026, 03:36 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that opposition leader Yair Lapid accused supporters of Netanyahu's government of attempting to crush Israel's democracy and steal the election with help from government plants in the security system, and reports Shin Bet chief David Zini seeking to question three Palestinian party leaders in a foreign interference probe for which law enforcement has found no evidence.