Once again there is drama in the Yahadut Hatorah party, as was the case in the Knesset election in April 2019 for the 21st Knesset. The Central Election Committee (CEC) during the night announced with the final results have been tabulated and Likud has earned an additional seat, now holding at 32, one less than the Blue & White party. That seat is at the expense of Yahadut Hatorah’s eighth seat, with the chareidi party now down to seven. As a result, Yitzchak Pindrus is not going to be in the 22nd Knesset.

The tension was palpable during recent days as CEC officials were counting the final votes, with Yahadut Hatorah officials aware there was a good chance the eighth seat would be lost to Likud.

According to the notification by the CEC, they have evidence of election fraud in six voting stations; with three of those being in Yarka, one in Sakhnin, one in Shfaram and one in Araba. All of these are Israeli Arab Municipalities.

In his decision, the chairman of the CEC, Judge Chanan Melcher writes, “Under these circumstances, there may be room for the disqualification of all of the ‘infected’ polling stations. At the same time, the will of the lone voter has great significance, and the importance of every voice is well known and recognized – as it expresses the constitutional right to choose. Consequently, and in accordance with the principle of proportionality, I found that in places where they could operate with relative flexibility, without prejudice to the choice of the innocent voter, especially when evidence before me was merely circumstantial, I saw a lenient approach and order the inclusion of [the results] of the polls in the general results”.

As a result, Likud has moved up to 32 seats in the new Knesset, opening the door to Kathy Sheetrit, while Yahadut Hatorah’s Yitzchak Pindrus has been knocked out of his slot.

The final election results for 22nd Knesset are:
Blue & White 33
Likud 32
Joint Arab List 13
Shas 9
Yisrael Beitenu 8
Yemina 7
Yahadut Hatorah 7
Labor/Gesher 6
Democratic Camp 5

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)