Eisenkot seeks foreign interference probe, accuses Netanyahu of undermining Israel election results

Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief political rival, has called for an immediate and impartial investigation into suspected foreign interference in Israel's affairs, while accusing Netanyahu and his allies of exploiting unverified allegations to undermine the election results.

Eisenkot said any attempt to interfere with Israel's electoral process must be investigated thoroughly, but warned against using suspicions that have not yet been substantiated to challenge the outcome of the vote or delay the next Knesset's proceedings.

“I commend Netanyahu for finally condemning Qatari involvement in the State of Israel,” Eisenkot said. “Foreign involvement in the State of Israel is an unacceptable and gravely serious matter, especially when it involves a country that funds and supports the Hamas organization.”

He said the allegations required urgent scrutiny regardless of whether the suspected interference took place within the Prime Minister's Office or the electoral system.

Eisenkot calls for impartial Shin Bet investigation

Eisenkot urged Israel's domestic security agency, the Shin Bet, to investigate the suspicions without political interference and establish the facts surrounding the alleged foreign involvement.

“An iron fist must be taken against anyone found to have harmed or attempted to harm the integrity of the elections,” he said.

His remarks come after the head of Israel's Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, asked the Shin Bet to investigate suspicions of foreign funding and interference connected to the October 27 parliamentary election. The allegations reportedly concern possible funding by foreign entities acting against Israeli interests, although the full details have not been publicly established.

The investigation was ordered amid heightened political tensions following an inconclusive election in which neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition secured a clear parliamentary majority. The preliminary results indicated that Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition bloc was projected to secure 48. Arab-led parties were projected to win 19 seats.

A majority requires 61 seats, leaving the formation of the next government uncertain.

Accuses Netanyahu of running an influence operation

While supporting an investigation into possible foreign interference, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu and his allies of using the allegations to shape public opinion and cast doubt on the election outcome.

“Netanyahu, who has grown accustomed to dealing with reality through lies, consciousness engineering, and sowing chaos, is leading, along with his partners, an illegitimate influence operation on the Israeli public,” he said.

Eisenkot alleged that the campaign was aimed at delaying the publication of election results and creating grounds to delegitimise the activities of the 26th Knesset.

He argued that suspicions of foreign interference must not be treated as proof of electoral wrongdoing before investigators have established their validity and scope.

“The attempt to exploit information (which has not yet been investigated) whose details and scope of suspicions have not yet been clarified in order to undermine the official election results, in which the Israeli public voted against the government of failure, is unacceptable and must be rejected outright,” he said.

Netanyahu's Likud party has separately accused Arab-led parties of electoral wrongdoing, including claims that the election was stolen. The allegations have intensified the political dispute over the role Arab parties could play in determining the next government. The broader claims have not been substantiated publicly.

Warns against delaying the 26th Knesset

Eisenkot also stressed that the investigation must not become a pretext for interfering with the parliamentary timetable.

He said decisions concerning the election must be taken carefully and that the 26th Knesset must convene as scheduled. The new parliament's swearing-in is set for November 10.

Respecting the choices made by voters, he said, was fundamental to Israeli democracy and the country's national resilience.

His warning comes as political parties begin considering possible alliances to secure a governing majority. With neither major bloc able to govern independently on the projected results, Arab-led parties could play a decisive role in determining the composition of the next government or influencing parliamentary proceedings.

The dispute over alleged foreign interference has therefore added another layer of uncertainty to the post-election negotiations, with Eisenkot insisting that genuine threats to electoral integrity must be investigated without allowing unverified claims to undermine the democratic process.