Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is reportedly preparing to challenge the election results and allege voter fraud if it fails to secure a victory in the upcoming Israeli election. According to Hebrew media reports, the party has discussed adopting a campaign strategy reminiscent of the claims made by Donald Trump following the 2020 United States presidential election.
Israeli television Channel 12 reported that the Likud party has already drafted a series of fraud allegations specifically targeting polling stations in Arab-majority areas. Party activists are preparing to lodge complaints over issues such as women voters wearing full-face coverings (burqas) and the practice of allocating separate voting times for men and women.
To monitor these polling stations, Likud has already dispatched thousands of party workers to Arab-majority regions. The television report noted that while the Central Election Commission's existing regulations provide clear guidelines on these matters, Likud is nonetheless laying the groundwork to contest the election's integrity.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, top party leaders have been proactively strategizing for a potential electoral defeat, with widespread discussions centering on how to allege massive vote rigging.
A source close to Netanyahu told Haaretz that contingency plans for a loss had been discussed multiple times. Strong arguments were made in favor of launching a campaign claiming the election was "stolen and rigged"—similar to Donald Trump's allegations against Joe Biden in 2020. While Netanyahu was reportedly not directly involved in these specific discussions, the reports indicate he is keeping the option of challenging the results on the table should he lose.
