Arabic version: قطر ترفض مزاعم التدخل في الانتخابات الإسرائيلية
According to Al Jazeera, Qatar has rejected allegations that it interfered in Israel’s parliamentary elections, as final results were awaited following a closely contested vote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and media outlets associated with it accused Qatar, without providing evidence, of sending money to Arab parties in Israel for get-out-the-vote efforts.
Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday that Doha categorically denied funding or involvement in activities intended to influence the results. In a post on X, he described the allegations as a disinformation campaign by certain Israeli politicians and their media contacts seeking to draw Qatar into domestic political disputes.
Al-Ansari called the claims “ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure” and said Qatar had no involvement in Israel’s political or electoral competition. He said repeated references to Qatar in Israeli electoral rhetoric reflected what he called an excessive obsession with the country, and urged Israeli politicians to focus instead on voters, daily life and regional damage.
Partial results indicated that Netanyahu’s bloc would not win a majority in the Knesset. The results also showed two Arab lists securing a record number of seats in the new parliament, though the main parties rejected partnering with them. Dean Livine, acting director for Israel’s Central Elections Committee, rejected allegations of foreign interference, writing that the elections were conducted lawfully and that polling-station integrity had been rigorously safeguarded.
Qatar is a mediator in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and has played a central role in talks to halt Israel’s war on Gaza. Doha is also leading mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran to end the United States-Israel war on Iran. Al-Ansari said the accusations would not distract Qatar from mediation, diplomatic and humanitarian work, support for Palestinians, or its commitment to regional stability.
