Netanyahu's Likud alleges election theft as Arab parties emerge kingmakers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party on Wednesday alleged that Arab-led political parties had stolen the country's parliamentary election, demanding investigations into purported electoral irregularities as preliminary results left both major political blocs short of a majority.

The allegations came after Tuesday's closely contested election produced a fragmented verdict, with Arab-led parties emerging as potentially decisive players in negotiations to form Israel's next government.

Likud called for investigations by the police and Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, alleging voter fraud, intimidation, bribery and other electoral offences. The party claimed it possessed evidence of irregularities, although the allegations had not been independently established.

The dispute intensified as Netanyahu's right-wing alliance appeared unlikely to secure the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, despite emerging ahead of the principal opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝘂𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲

In a statement, Likud accused Arab-led parties of electoral misconduct and demanded immediate intervention by the authorities.

The party alleged that the irregularities included cash inducements, threats against election officials, double voting, discrepancies in ballot records and the use of unauthorised software to mobilise voters.

It claimed to have submitted hundreds of testimonies and other material to the police, Shin Bet and the Central Elections Committee, seeking a thorough investigation.

However, an official from the Central Elections Committee dismissed allegations of electoral fraud in remarks to Israeli television, according to local media reports.

The claims remained contested, with no established finding that the election had been stolen.

𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱

Preliminary figures released by the Central Elections Committee projected 53 seats for Netanyahu's bloc and 48 for the opposition alliance led by Eisenkot. The Arab-led Ra'am and Joint List parties were projected to secure a combined 19 seats, giving them potentially significant influence over the formation of the next government.

Their strong electoral performance has complicated coalition calculations. Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected cooperation with Arab-led parties, while sections of the opposition have indicated a willingness to explore arrangements involving their parliamentary support.

Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen advocated cooperation between Jewish and Arab citizens, while senior party leader Ahmad Tibi indicated that Arab lawmakers could help an opposition alliance form a government.

Democrats leader Yair Golan also urged opposition parties to consider working with Arab representatives to secure a parliamentary majority.

𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀

Israel's Central Elections Committee confirmed that it had received Likud's complaint and was examining the allegations through its established election-integrity monitoring procedures.

The committee said political parties had been informed before polling about the mechanism for identifying constituencies and polling stations requiring additional scrutiny.

It maintained that complaints concerning voting procedures and possible discrepancies in results would be assessed under the existing framework.

The committee's review does not establish that the alleged offences occurred.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝘇𝗼𝗴 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲

With neither major bloc securing a clear majority, President Isaac Herzog urged political leaders to approach coalition negotiations with an open mind and avoid another election.

He said the official results were expected next week, after which consultations would begin with representatives of parliamentary factions to determine who could form a government.

The final seat distribution could still change as outstanding ballots, including special votes, were counted. The Central Elections Committee was expected to publish official results by November 4.

The immediate challenge for both Netanyahu and Eisenkot is assembling enough parliamentary support to form a viable government. The outcome will depend not only on the final count but also on whether rival parties can overcome their differences during coalition negotiations.