Israel’s election commission rejects Netanyahu claims of voting fraud

Move comes after attorney general blocked Shin Bet call to interrogate politicians from Palestinian-led parties

Israel’s election commission on Wednesday confirmed the final results of the 27 October vote that stripped Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition of their governing majority, rejecting claims of mass fraud promoted by the prime minister.

His main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, warned that Netanyahu had launched a “pogrom against democracy”, attempting to hold on to power by discrediting valid votes and weaponising security forces against parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Hours earlier Israel’s attorney general said she had blocked a demand from the Shin Bet security service to interrogate senior politicians from the Palestinian-led parties, because she was not presented with any evidence of wrongdoing.