Israel faces constitutional crisis as Netanyahu challenges election result

A constitutional crisis is developing in Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensifies his efforts to cast doubt on the results of last week's election, leading opposition politicians to accuse him of attempting to "crush democracy." The dispute reached a new level on Tuesday evening when Israel's attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, issued a rare statement accusing the head of the country's internal security agency, David Zini, of undermining the rule of law.

Zini, appointed by Netanyahu, reportedly wanted to question four Arab politicians, alleging they were part of a large campaign to influence the October 27 elections. However, there was no evidence presented, and the Central Elections Committee maintained the validity of the vote. The attorney general's office emphasized that interrogating citizens or elected officials without sufficient evidence is not permissible in a country governed by the rule of law.

On Wednesday, Israeli media reported that the Shin Bet continued to claim foreign influence campaigns were ongoing, yet no evidence was provided. Opposition parties seized upon the attorney general's warning to argue that Netanyahu was collaborating with loyalists in Israel's security apparatus to retain power, putting the future of the country's political system at risk.

The election's outcome left no governing coalition with a majority, with opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot poised to attempt forming a coalition first. Netanyahu's coalition had previously attempted to delegitimize Arab voters, who won 19 seats in the Knesset and could potentially become key players in coalition negotiations. The opposition bloc secured 48 seats, while Netanyahu's Likud party won 53, down from 64 in 2022.

The Central Elections Committee affirmed the results, stating that no evidence indicated the integrity of the vote had been compromised.