Netanyahu alleges Israeli election was ‘stolen’ by Arab-led parties

Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has alleged that the Israeli election was “stolen” by Arab-led parties, following a closely contested vote that has left neither his political bloc nor the main opposition with enough seats to secure a majority in parliament.

The election results have placed Arab-led parties in a potentially decisive position, with projections indicating that they could win a record 19 seats. Their performance could give them a crucial role in coalition negotiations as political parties begin assessing their options for forming the next government.

Netanyahu’s Likud party issued a statement alleging serious irregularities in the election process and accusing Arab-led parties of attempting to undermine the state of Israel.

“The elections in Israel were stolen by Arab parties that support terror and the elimination of the Jewish state through serious criminal offences of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries and the use of illegal software to mobilise voters,” the Likud party said.

Following the allegations, Likud called for a police investigation into the suspected electoral offences.

The party also demanded an inquiry by Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, into allegations of voter fraud, intimidation and other potential violations linked to the election.

The party further alleged that prohibited software had been used to mobilise voters and called for a “thorough investigation” into the claims.

It also demanded an immediate response from the election committee, urging the relevant authorities to examine the alleged irregularities.

The accusations came after Ra’am and the Joint List recorded a strong electoral performance, with the two Arab-led political groupings projected to secure a combined 19 seats.

Their anticipated gains could give them considerable influence in the negotiations aimed at forming a government, particularly as neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the main opposition appears to have secured a clear parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out cooperation with Arab-led parties, making their projected electoral gains a significant factor in the political calculations surrounding government formation.

With the results leaving the main political blocs short of a majority, the role of Arab-led parties could become a central issue in the negotiations, even as Likud presses for investigations into its allegations of electoral misconduct.

Meanwhile, the counting of “double envelope” votes is underway, the Central Elections Commission (CEC) announced, adding that the counting of all the regular votes has not completely finished, according to local media reports.

The double envelopes consist of the voters who cast absentee ballots, largely made up of votes from IDF soldiers, prisoners, medical personnel, those with medical conditions, and Israeli representatives in missions abroad, reports Times of Israel.

The CEC also noted that the counting of all of the regular votes has not completely finished, adding that the results have been processed from 11,712 out of the 12,018 regular polling stations, representing 5,126,759 voters.

The remaining polling stations are currently undergoing standard verification procedures, it added.