Likud to Seek Court Review of Israeli Election Amid App Use Dispute

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is preparing a legal appeal against the outcome of the Israeli general election held on October 27. The move comes as the prime minister’s bloc attempts to contest the results that led to the appointment of an opposition leader to form a new government. Party attorney Ilan Bombach confirmed the preparation of the appeal on Saturday, citing specific allegations regarding voter tracking methods.

The legal challenge centers on claims that Arab political parties utilized electronic applications to monitor and boost voter participation. These tools were explicitly prohibited by the High Court of Justice in a ruling issued ten days before voting day. Bombach stated that the party has not yet determined whether the appeal will dispute the entire election outcome or target specific components of the vote.

During the campaign, Netanyahu and other coalition members frequently characterized the election as stolen. They argued that record turnout among Arab voters prevented their bloc from securing a majority in the Knesset. The coalition pointed to alleged irregularities, including bribery and intimidation, as evidence supporting their position that the process was compromised.

According to Bombach, Likud observers filed approximately 700 complaints on election day. These reports alleged that activists for Arab parties used a smartphone application to track voter movement. The attorney claimed that each instance of this activity influenced hundreds or thousands of votes. Because the High Court had banned the practice, Bombach argued that the Arab parties gained an unfair advantage in the final hours of the campaign.

The complaint is expected to be filed with the Jerusalem District Court near the November 17 deadline. This date represents the final day such appeals can be submitted to the judiciary. The legal documents may also include findings from two ongoing law enforcement investigations into electoral fraud, depending on the status of those probes when the filings are finalized.

Data from the Civilian Election Guard adds nuance to the dispute over app usage. The independent organization reported 374 instances of apparent illegal application use during the election. However, their analysis showed that Likud activists and polling station workers accounted for 32 percent of these violations, the highest share of any group. United Torah Judaism accounted for 10 percent, Shas for 6 percent, Ra’am for 2 percent, and the Joint List for 1 percent.

The High Court’s ban on these applications drew sharp criticism from Likud ministers. The party and ultra-Orthodox groups have relied on this data in recent election cycles to drive turnout. Likud lawyers argued in court that prohibiting the practice would severely harm their election day operations, a stance that complicates their current legal position.

Channel 12 reported on Friday that the two main investigations into election interference appear to be weakening. One case involved three Bedouin activists arrested on election morning for allegedly bribing voters to support the Ra’am party. This case is expected to be closed unless new evidence emerges, and the suspects have since been released.

A second investigation concerned alleged foreign funding for the Joint List. While early media reports suggested involvement from Qatar, intelligence material provided by the Shin Bet security service to police did not mention the Gulf state. Instead, the funds were believed to originate from the West Bank, though the specific source remained unclear.

Likud and other coalition parties attempted to delay the official certification of results to President Isaac Herzog, citing these ongoing probes. Noam Solberg, head of the Central Election Committee, rejected this move. He stated that the allegations were not significant enough to alter the outcome and criticized the stigmatization of Arab voters.

Following the confirmation of results, President Herzog began consultations with party leaders. A total of 67 members of the Knesset backed Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar opposition party, while 46 recommended Netanyahu. The seven-seat United Torah Judaism party declined to recommend a candidate, breaking from its long-standing support of the Prime Minister. Herzog announced on Saturday night that Eisenkot would be tasked with attempting to form a government starting Sunday.