The Balad party has firmly rejected the allegations against it, against former Knesset member Hanin Zoabi and other party members for the so-called "2013 election affair".
Responding to reports that indictments will be made subject to a hearing, The party said, "The prosecutor's office waited all this time only to announce its decisions on the eve of the election, all this to hurt Balad, the Joint List [of predominantly Arab parties] and the Arab voting public. This is an administrative matter which is the province of the State Comptroller, and that's how matters of this kind have been dealt with among all the parties. Moving the issue from administrative to criminal treatment is a vindictive step of political persecution, and the timing of the announcement at this time clearly indicates that."