After the storm: Likud returns to count the votes in Be'er Ya'akov

The Likud party announced last night (between Tuesday and Wednesday) that it would conduct a recount of the votes at a polling station in Be'er Ya'akov, following a decision by the movement's election committee, headed by retired judge Menachem Neeman. The decision was made against the backdrop of anomalous data from the polling station, where 240 valid votes were counted, while the published results stated that Shashi Gueta allegedly received 260 votes — 20 votes more than the number of valid votes. Gila Gamliel, according to the data, received 240 votes.

The recount is taking place against the backdrop of claims raised in recent days regarding irregularities and gaps in the primary results, and following Gila Gamliel's petition to the Likud tribunal, in which she requested to stop the recount in Be'er Ya'akov or, alternatively, to conduct a re-examination in all polling stations where suspicions of irregularities arose. The tribunal did not stop the count, but Judge Yitzhak Bam pointed to "discomfort" given the fact that even eight days after the elections, the question of the results has not yet been finally decided.

Likud stated that the results of the recount in Be'er Ya'akov will be included in the final results of the primaries after the appeals stage, which is expected to end this coming Thursday. The movement's spokesperson emphasized that Likud strictly adheres to the integrity of the election process and acts in accordance with the instructions of the tribunal and the movement's election committee, and that the recount is intended to ensure the verification of the data and their presentation as part of the final results.