Netanyahu alleges foreign interference in Israeli elections, calls for broad right-wing government

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday there were “serious suspicions” of foreign interference in the elections, after the results were officially announced and the president began consultations on appointing a candidate to form a government.

In a video, Netanyahu said there were “serious suspicions that foreign countries spent huge sums of money to influence the results of the elections in Israel”.

He added that “a government relying on parties that support terrorism will not be able to face the challenge of radical Islam, which threatens Israelis from within and abroad”.

Netanyahu said only “a broad national government led by the Likud and under my leadership, including all components of the national camp and all Zionist parties that wish to join it”, would be able to confront this challenge.

He said these parties sought to erase the Jewish identity of the State of Israel and openly declare their intentions, while also seeking to deprive Israelis of the ability to defend themselves against their enemies, according to Netanyahu.