Netanyahu alleges foreign spending aimed at swaying Israeli election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited "serious suspicions" of foreign interference in Israel's recent parliamentary elections, claiming foreign countries spent large sums to influence the results. The largest Arab-Israeli bloc dismissed the accusations as "political persecution." Netanyahu's comments follow a probe into lawmaker Ayman Odeh, who is accused of receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels from an unspecified foreign entity. The Joint List coalition denounced the targeting, saying Netanyahu refuses to acknowledge Arab citizens who voted overwhelmingly against his government. The Central Elections Committee found no evidence questioning the results' integrity after auditing over 9,000 polling stations. Netanyahu's allies have sparred with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who denied a Shin Bet request to interrogate other Arab party leaders without evidence.