Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said what was happening was “an attempt to crush democracy and steal the election with the help of government plants in the security system” and called it “a direct threat to our democracy,” urging state institutions to stand firm and a government to be formed as quickly as possible.

The remarks came amid reports that Shin Bet chief David Zini sought to question three Palestinian party leaders over suspected foreign interference in the election, and that authorities found no evidence for the claims. Palestinian-led parties won 19 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, which kept Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot from reaching the 61 needed to form a government.