Qatar rejects Israeli claims it interfered in the election

Summary

Qatar has denied interfering in Israeli elections or funding activities to influence their results, rejecting accusations that some Israeli politicians and associated media outlets were promoting. Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said in a statement on X that the accusations "are ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure", that the repeated invocation of Qatar reveals "an excessive obsession with our country" among some Israeli figures, and that "Qatar should not be used as a scapegoat for the political failures of certain Israeli politicians". He said the claims would not deter Doha from its mediation and diplomatic and humanitarian work. The denial follows a Thursday statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party claiming that Palestinian citizens of Israel had "stolen" the election after their record turnout and electoral gains, and warning of an attempted "Islamisation of Israel" after a Shin Bet investigation into alleged foreign interference. Palestinian-led parties, running on two separate slates, won 19 seats and could play a decisive role in coalition negotiations; both rejected the allegations as an attempt to delegitimise their voters.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   29 Oct 2026, 12:58 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Qatar denied interfering in the Israeli elections or funding activities to influence the results, with spokesperson Majed al-Ansari calling the accusations "ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure".

2. Middle East Eye

   29 Oct 2026, 13:37 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Qatar rejected Likud's claim that Palestinian citizens "stole" the election, and notes that Palestinian-led parties won 19 seats and could play a decisive role in coalition negotiations.

3. Middle East Eye

   29 Oct 2026, 15:06 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Likud said in a Thursday statement that Palestinian citizens had "stolen" the election and warned of an attempted "Islamisation of Israel" after a Shin Bet investigation, while Qatar rejected the accusations as "ridiculous and dangerous".

4. Euronews

   29 Oct 2026, 16:13 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that Netanyahu's Likud party alleges interference and fraud in Israel's election, and that Qatar has denied interfering or funding efforts to influence the result, calling the accusations "ridiculous and dangerous".