Likud responded to the suspicion that Qatar interfered in Israel's elections and dubbed the affair 'Ra'amgate.' The party further stated that "this is an attack on democracy aimed at leading to foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel, and the toppling of the right-wing government in order to lead to a retreat and defeat of the IDF on all fronts - primarily Iran." The statement continued: "This is an earthquake and an unprecedented upheaval. After it became clear that foreign entities tried to take over the Knesset, it is clear that no Zionist party should cooperate with Ra'am and the Joint List, replace the Knesset speaker with votes that were bought with cash, and establish a government that is dangerous to Israel."