Israel: vote count complete, deadlock remains. Four arrests over alleged electoral corruption

The Intelligence Department of the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan has announced that four terrorist cells linked to the US and the “Zionist enemy” have been dismantled, whilst 16 people have been arrested. This was reported by the Mehr news agency, which added that some of those taken into custody were from abroad and that the operations took place in the central and southern parts of the province, which is situated in south-eastern Iran, borders Pakistan and is regularly the scene of attacks on law enforcement by armed groups. According to the Intelligence Department, some of those arrested were found to have been involved in the killing of several police officers in Iranshahr, whilst during the operations against the cells deemed to be “terrorist”, ammunition and weapons were seized, including nine Kalashnikov rifles, two US-made M4 rifles and seven pistols. Three of those arrested were caught whilst gathering and transmitting information on the location of defence and security facilities in the south of the province, the Sistan-Baluchistan Intelligence Department stated.

The $1,500 billion defence plan proposed by US President Donald Trump risks running aground in Congress, where divisions between Republicans and Democrats – exacerbated by tensions over the war in Iran and strained relations with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth – are blocking the approval of funding for the Pentagon. This is reported by the Washington Post, which interviewed 30 lawmakers and experts involved in national security issues in Congress, including 20 members of the relevant committees. With just over 20 days of legislative activity remaining before the end of the year, the deadlock risks jeopardising the rearmament of US forces following eight months of war against Iran and putting the brakes on the Trump administration’s ambitious military programmes. The White House’s plan provides for a 40 per cent increase in military spending, earmarked, amongst other things, for the purchase of drones, precision-guided missiles and the funding of the ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence system. Hegseth also requested a further $67 billion to cover the costs of the war in Iran and military operations abroad, but the request was blocked by almost all Democratic senators. The administration has therefore split the budget into two parts: 1,150 billion, which also requires the support of the opposition, and a further 350 billion to be approved by Republican votes alone. According to the Washington Post, however, the GOP has not yet reached an agreement on how to proceed. Meanwhile, the cost of the conflict in Iran has exceeded 47 billion dollars, forcing the Pentagon to postpone training and maintenance activities to meet these expenses. The main cause of the deadlock is said to be, above all, the increasingly strained relations between Hegseth and Congress. MPs from both parties accuse the Secretary of having undermined the traditional bipartisan cooperation on military matters, including through public attacks on Democrats and a restrictive handling of classified information. The Pentagon rejects the criticism, assuring that Hegseth is open to dialogue with MPs. According to the newspaper, several members of Congress now believe it will be difficult to approve the entire plan by the end of the year, whilst the mid-term elections on 3 November could further complicate negotiations, particularly if the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives.

“I believe there are currently two opposing trends. On the one hand, there is a desire to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia and other countries – a process that was abruptly halted on 7 October. On the other, there is the threat posed by radical Islamic extremism of Iranian origin, which we must contend with.” Jonathan Peled, Israel’s Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, interviewed by ANSA, responded as follows when asked whether he believed a resumption of the conflict in the Middle East was possible. “Unfortunately, regardless of whether the Prime Minister is Netanyahu, Eisenkot or anyone else, the reality remains the same: Hamas remains Hamas, Hezbollah remains Hezbollah and Iran remains Iran; they will continue to threaten us and call for our destruction,” he explained. Therefore, “our geostrategic security needs remain unchanged. We must work together with the United States, Europe and the international community to find ways to weaken – and, hopefully, dismantle – Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, as well as to neutralise Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, depriving them of the arsenals with which they can threaten Israel, Italia and Europe”.

With 97.3 per cent of the votes counted, Likud has gained one seat at the expense of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party and now holds 27 seats. Eisenkot’s Yashar! 21, Bennett-Lapid 12, United Arab List 11, Democrats 8, Ra’am 8, Israel Beiteinu 7, Ben Gvir 7, United Torah Judaism 7, Shas 6, Smotrich’s Religious Zionism 6. The two-block landscape remains unchanged, with Netanyahu’s coalition securing 53 seats, the Change Bloc 48 and the Arab parties 19.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun lamented today that, one week on from the latest round of US-mediated talks, no progress has yet been made on key issues with Israel: specifically, a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the demarcation of borders and the release of prisoners. According to a statement from the presidency, during a meeting with the German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Aoun called for an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, warning that such actions undermine stability. Aoun stated that the Lebanese state and army are ready to address security-related issues through “official mechanisms and established channels of coordination”, rather than through military action, whilst calling for greater European support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Aoun also expressed concern at the possibility of a security vacuum arising in southern Lebanon following the planned expiry, by the end of the year, of UNIFIL’s mandate, adding that he would welcome any international initiative aimed at averting such a situation

The leader of Yashar, Gadi Eisenkot, has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies of using allegations of foreign interference in the elections to manipulate public opinion, with the aim of “delaying the publication of the results and casting doubt on the legitimacy of the new Knesset”. In a statement published on X, the leader of the Change Bloc emphasised that the Shin Bet must investigate the allegations “without fear or favour”, whilst warning, however, that decisions relating to the elections must be handled with “the utmost caution” and that “the 26th Knesset must be sworn in on schedule”.

According to a statement from the Yashar party, as reported by Haaretz, Eisenkot met this morning with the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, and was briefed on suspicions of foreign interference in the electoral process.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed the hope that the formation of a new Israeli government might pave the way for the resumption of peace negotiations. During a press conference in Cyprus, Abbas “expressed the hope that the period following the formation of the new Israeli government might create an opportunity to resume serious political dialogue and make progress towards peace”, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Revolutionary Guards have stated that three more oil tankers caught fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Three vessels ‘that were in breach of the rules’ exploded and caught fire after striking mines whilst attempting to sail along an unauthorised route south of the strait, according to a statement. According to the Pasdaran, the vessels had ‘switched off their radars and navigation systems’ and ignored warnings; the Revolutionary Guards also reported that they had seized a US reconnaissance drone in the area. Neither the origin of the cargo nor the flags of the vessels have been disclosed. This morning, the British maritime agency UKMTO reported a vessel on fire in the strait, off the coast of Oman; it is currently unclear whether this is one of the three oil tankers mentioned by the Guardian.

US Vice-President J.D. Vance has sent a letter to Iran’s head of national security, making it clear that any negotiations aimed at averting US military attacks “will require discussions on the nuclear issue”. Axios reported this, citing a US official and emphasising the importance of the letter, which centres on the possibility of resuming negotiations between the United States and Iran and represents the highest-level contact between the two nations in recent months. This comes at a time when, moreover, President Trump is considering resuming major combat operations in Iran following the mid-term elections. Axios also reveals that it was Vance who suggested sending the letter to Rezaei, one of Iran’s top national security officials, who has a direct line to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and that “the President was enthusiastic” about the letter, the date of which is not specified. One of the main obstacles to attempts to restart negotiations is Iran’s demand that the US lift the naval blockade, unfreeze frozen funds and give the green light to oil sales as a precondition for talks. The United States, for its part, insists that Iran resume nuclear negotiations before any easing of sanctions takes place. Yesterday, speaking to journalists, Trump referred to Vance’s letter, but said that its aim was to help Iran obtain necessary medical supplies. “Essentially, it’s about getting supplies through to help people who are unwell,” the president said, as quoted by Axios.

Three of the four people arrested by the police on suspicion of electoral fraud in southern Israel are headteachers at schools in Tel Sheva and Segev Shalom. The Israeli police investigation is not linked to the case of suspected Qatari interference in the elections, which is being handled by the Shin Bet, the internal intelligence service.

“Now we can finish the job together.” Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are ready to attack Iran – once again, and with greater force – after the election in Israel has strengthened their friendship.

The United States and Israel will act in unison: Trump, however, has chosen to wait until the mid-term elections on 3 November, resisting pressure from Netanyahu, who would have liked to take action as early as the beginning of October. Everything is ready; it will take just a few hours to launch ‘another little Epic Fury’, as Trump himself confirmed at an election rally last week.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke with the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Noam Sohlberg, and the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, regarding Sohlberg’s request to investigate allegations of foreign interference in Tuesday’s vote. Herzog emphasised the need for a “thorough” investigation, whilst warning against the risk of “discrediting” the entire Arab community. “I am closely following developments in the investigation into the suspicions reported this morning,” Herzog stressed in a statement at the presidential residence. “The integrity of elections,” Herzog emphasised, as reported by *The Times of Israel*, “is a fundamental value in a democracy. The evidence and allegations must be thoroughly examined, and those responsible must be investigated and punished to the full extent of the law. But even at a time like this, we must avoid bringing discredit upon an entire community that has sought to exercise its right to vote and to participate actively in democracy”, he added, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies had denounced alleged incidents of electoral corruption aimed at boosting voter turnout among Arab voters. Herzog also renewed his appeal to politicians to approach the forthcoming negotiations on forming a coalition government with an “open” mindset and to seek only “what is in the best interests of the country”

Neither with Bibi nor with Tibi. Parodying the slogan used by Benjamin Netanyahu during the election campaign against the Arab parties (‘Either with Bibi or with Tibi’), the leader of Yisrael Beytenu, Avigdor Liberman reiterated that he has no intention whatsoever of taking part in a government that includes the outgoing prime minister, nor of relying on the Arab parties – whether for internal or external support – referring in particular to Ahmad Tibi’s Joint List. “What we said before the election is even truer now. We will not sit” in a government “with Bibi or with Tibi”. “There are too many developments and events. We will wait for the dust to settle and then consider our next steps”.

The police have reported on X that four men have been arrested in southern Israel on charges of alleged electoral corruption. They are currently being questioned by the National Anti-Corruption Unit of Lahav 433. Three other people had been arrested on the same charge on the morning of the election, 27 October, also in the south of the country. The media report that the Arab party Ra’am has identified the arrested men as activists within the party and has rejected the allegations.

“There is no prospect of a peacekeeping mission in Hormuz in the near future”. This was stated by the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, in an interview with the editor-in-chief of Adnkronos, Davide Desario, during the national convention of Sud chiama Nord and Sindaci d’Italia in Rome, in response to a question about the possibility of an Italian peacekeeping mission in Hormuz.

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot has warned against politically exploiting allegations of foreign interference in Tuesday’s election to delay the formation of the next Knesset, Israel’s 120-seat unicameral parliament. Israel, explains Eisenkot, in a message apparently addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, following the decision by the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, to instruct the Shin Bet to investigate suspicions of electoral funding and corruption by foreign entities, “must do everything in its power to safeguard the integrity of the elections from any attempt at interference, manipulation or distortion of the facts, and thoroughly investigate every allegation. At the same time, political actors must not be allowed to exploit the situation to influence the date of the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset”, Eisenkot emphasised, according to reports in *The Times of Israel*. The Minister of National Security, a far-right politician, Itamar Ben Gvir, is calling on the Shin Bet to arrest the leaders of Arab parties suspected of being involved in the affair concerning funding from Qatar, along with other individuals, including figures linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, provided the legal grounds for making the arrests exist. According to reports in the Hebrew-language Israeli media, Netanyahu’s Likud party believes that Qatar and Turkey are behind the alleged funding directed at organisations working to increase voter turnout amongst Arab voters. To date, no evidence has been publicly presented to support these allegations, nor any evidence implicating the leaders of the Arab parties. Meanwhile, Avigdor Liberman, leader of the Yisrael Beytenu party, has described the letter sent by Sohlberg to the Shin Bet as a “sensational and unprecedented development” and has urged the relevant authorities to “act swiftly to shed full light on the matter as soon as possible”. The allegations form part of a wider campaign by Likud aimed at contesting the election results in Arab communities, after Netanyahu’s political bloc lost its parliamentary majority. Today, the police rejected the party’s claims that the election had been “stolen” by the Arab parties, stating that “there is no evidence to support” these allegations.

“The Shin Bet must order the arrest this very morning of the leaders of the Arab parties suspected of being involved in the affair concerning funds from Qatar, as well as all other suspects in the case, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood and organisations linked to them, provided the legal grounds for making the arrests exist.” This was written on X by the far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party believes that Qatar and Turkey are the sources of funding allegedly channelled to groups working to mobilise Arab voters. The matter is currently the subject of an investigation by the Shin Bet, according to Israeli media reports. The investigation, as highlighted by the Israeli channel ‘N12’, is based on intelligence information received by the Shin Bet and presented to the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg. According to Israeli media reports, as noted by ‘The Times of Israel’, “the channels used to apparently send funds to the organisations are very similar to those used in the past to finance terrorist activities”. This morning, Solberg ordered the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, to launch an investigation into “suspected foreign financial interference and suspected electoral corruption by foreign entities”. Before polling stations opened, some Israeli media outlets had reported that Likud intended to contest the results in Arab localities and claim that the election had been “stolen” should Netanyahu fail to win. According to the same sources, the party had already prepared a series of complaints and allegations of electoral fraud. Today, the police rejected Likud’s claims that the election had been “stolen” by the Arab parties, stating that “there is no evidence to support” such allegations.

“I am in contact with the relevant authorities and am receiving updates regarding the allegations of foreign interference in the elections”, wrote Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Change Bloc, on X after learning that the chairman of the Israeli Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, had asked the head of the Shin Bet to investigate allegations of foreign interference in the elections due to suspected electoral corruption by Qatar. “The State of Israel must safeguard the integrity of the electoral process with the utmost care against any attempt at interference, media manipulation or tampering with the results, and thoroughly investigate every allegation,” he added, “on the other hand, politicians must not be allowed to exploit this situation to influence the date on which the 26th Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, is sworn in”.

Anti-Semitic insults followed by physical violence, accompanied by an attempt to snatch the mobile phone – with which the victim, a researcher and expert in the history of the Israelites in Europe, was dialling 112 – from him. The attack, which lasted 10 minutes and was captured on CCTV, took place in Rome, near the synagogue, on the eve of Ferragosto, and the two alleged perpetrators have now been arrested by the police under a precautionary measures order, issued at the request of the public prosecutor’s office, which coordinated the Digos investigation. They are two men aged 36 and 46, both from Rome. One of them has been remanded in custody, whilst the other is under house arrest. Both face charges of conspiracy to commit attempted aggravated robbery on racial grounds. The investigation began following a complaint by the victim, who had been struck in the face by the attackers before they fled. CCTV footage capturing their facial features and some tattoos proved crucial in identifying the two men.

With 92.7 per cent of the votes counted, the two-block landscape that has emerged from the Israeli elections remains unchanged. Ra’am loses one seat to the United List and drops to 7 seats. The United List has 12 seats. Likud has 26 seats, Yashar 21, Together 12, the Democrats 8, Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit (Ben Gvir) and Shas 7 each. Religious Zionism (Smotrich) and Zehuta each have 6 seats. Winter, Handel and Zelicha have not yet cleared the electoral threshold. The coalition secures 53 seats, the Change Bloc 48 and the Arab parties 19.

The chairman of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has asked the head of the Shin Bet to investigate allegations of foreign interference in the elections, specifically regarding suspected electoral corruption by Qatar, after the head of internal intelligence, David Zini, presented information described as “exceptionally serious”. Channel 12 reports this, stating that “the suspicion currently under investigation concerns the transfer of large sums of money by Arab entities, with the aim of increasing voter turnout in the Arab community through illegal means”.

So far, just over 29,000 ‘double envelopes’ (i.e. ballot papers from voters who cast their votes from hospitals, war zones or diplomats abroad) have been counted in Israel, out of an estimated total of over 400,000. This is reported by Ynet, which states that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is leading among these ballots, with 18.5 per cent of the votes counted so far, followed by Gadi Eisenkot’s ‘Yashar’ movement with 15.6 per cent. According to experts quoted by the website, it is unlikely that the final count of the double envelopes will significantly alter the current projections regarding the allocation of seats. Ynet also reports that the Central Electoral Commission estimates that the counting of votes will be completed by this afternoon.

Netanyahu’s bloc stands at 53 seats, after 90 per cent of the votes in the Knesset elections had been counted in Israel. According to the results, Eisenkot’s coalition has secured 48 seats and the Arab parties 19. Likud has 26 seats, Yashar! 21, the United List 12, Yachad 12, the Democrats 8, United Torah Judaism 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 7, Shas 7, Otzma Yehudit 7, Ra’am 7, Religious Zionism and Zehut 6.

The Israeli police have denied claims made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party that the election had been “stolen” by the Arab parties. “Election day took place with very few irregularities affecting the integrity of the vote, even when compared with previous elections,” a police source told several Hebrew-language media outlets. “It is important to emphasise that there is no evidence, either of an investigative nature or based on intelligence, to support such allegations,” the source added. Yesterday, an official from the Central Elections Commission (CEC) also denied the allegations of electoral fraud.

Whilst the count is still under way, the Arab parties have secured 19 seats in the election, against a backdrop of unprecedented voter turnout within their community. Prior to the vote, Hebrew-language media had reported that Likud intended to contest the results from Arab localities and claim that the election had been ‘stolen’ should Netanyahu fail to win; the party had, in fact, prepared a series of complaints and allegations of fraud in advance.

The progressive Israeli daily *Haaretz* has published an editorial urging the country’s opposition bloc to form a government together with the Arab parties. Given that the total number of seats in the Knesset – combining those of Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc with those of the Arab parties – would amount to 67, the newspaper writes that Netanyahu’s government has “lost significant support since the last election”.

The figures clearly point to an unprecedented result for the Arab community, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of a political partnership with the Jews. Despite the difficulties and reservations surrounding the vote, and against the backdrop of a particularly racist smear campaign, the 19 seats won in the Knesset – a record number – send a loud and clear message: “We are an inseparable part of this country”.

The Israeli Electoral Commission has announced that it began counting the postal votes (sent in double envelopes) at 1 am local time. The counting process is expected to continue until this evening and will involve around 500,000 ballot papers from serving military personnel, diplomatic staff, prisoners and other groups unable to travel to polling stations. However, it is believed that these votes are unlikely to alter the results in such a way as to give either of the two blocs a majority.

With over 90 per cent of the votes counted, the current results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc standing at 53 seats, whilst his opponent Gadi Eisenkot’s coalition is set to win 48; the Arab parties are on course to reach a record total of 19 seats.

Donald Trump did not instruct Vice-President JD Vance to speak to Tehran to initiate peace negotiations. “No, the point is this: they need help with medical supplies and other things. He asked me what I thought. I replied: ‘If you want to do it, that’s fine’,” said the tycoon in response to a question seeking clarification on a report in the Wall Street Journal, according to which Vance, with the President’s endorsement, had written to the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, in an attempt to restart peace negotiations. “Essentially, it’s about getting supplies through to help people who are unwell,” Trump added, speaking to the media before leaving for Ohio

“We’ve given the Gulf of America a name. We’ve given a name to an enchanting lake, Lake Ontario, which is now called Lake America. And then there’s the Strait of Hormuz… sooner or later we’ll call it the Strait of Trump.” President Donald Trump said this, noting that oil is once again flowing “like never before” through the Strait, and assuring that Iran “will never have a nuclear weapon”.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed a senior military strategist from the Pentagon. This is reported by *The Hill*, which notes that this is yet another top-level officer to have been removed from the Department since Hegseth took the helm almost two years ago. According to two officials familiar with the situation, the Pentagon chief this week relieved Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia of his post; he had been serving as Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy (J-5) at the Joint Staff. It is unclear why Sylvia, a former commander of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, was removed from his post. When asked for comment, Hegseth’s office referred the matter to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sylvia’s removal comes at a time when US Central Command (Centcom) has drawn up plans for a possible attack on Iran: an operation that could be launched after the mid-term elections in November, subject to authorisation from the White House.