The contest to form Israel’s next government has triggered a fresh controversy after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party alleged that Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election. The accusation follows a vote that has left neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the main opposition with enough seats to secure a parliamentary majority. Arab-led parties are projected to win a record 19 seats, potentially giving them a decisive role in coalition negotiations.
Likud has called for police and Shin Bet investigations into alleged voter fraud, intimidation and other electoral offences. The allegations have further heightened political tensions following an election that has produced no clear parliamentary majority.
Preliminary results from Israel’s Central Elections Committee put Netanyahu’s bloc at 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. The Arab-led Ra’am and Joint List parties are projected to secure a combined 19 seats. A minimum of 61 seats is required to form a majority.
LIKUD ALLEGES WIDESPREAD ELECTION FRAUD
In a statement, Likud accused Arab-led parties of committing serious offences to mobilise voters and influence the election outcome.
“The elections in Israel were stolen by Arab parties that support terror and the elimination of the Jewish state through serious criminal offenses of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries and the use of illegal software to mobilize voters,” the party said.
Likud said it was submitting what it described as hundreds of testimonies and other evidence to the police, Shin Bet and the Central Elections Committee.
The allegations include claims that cash was distributed alongside Ra’am ballot slips, polling committee members faced threats and violence, multiple voters entered voting booths together, individuals voted more than once, and discrepancies existed between the number of ballot envelopes and registered voters.
The party also alleged that prohibited software had been used to mobilise voters. It demanded a comprehensive investigation and urged the election committee to respond immediately.
ARAB PARTIES REGISTER HISTORIC GAINS
The allegations emerged after Ra’am and the Joint List recorded a strong electoral performance. Their projected total of 19 seats could give them considerable influence in efforts to form the next government, despite Netanyahu’s repeated rejection of cooperation with Arab-led parties.
During the election campaign, Likud portrayed any political partnership with Arab parties as illegitimate. Arab politicians, meanwhile, accused Netanyahu of using rhetoric targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel to mobilise right-wing voters.
The projected gains have consequently placed Arab representation at the centre of the negotiations over Israel’s next government.
WHAT HAS THE ELECTION COMMITTEE SAID?
Israel’s Central Elections Committee (CEC) has confirmed that it is examining complaints concerning alleged electoral fraud and irregularities submitted by political parties, including Likud’s request for an investigation into suspected wrongdoing during the vote.
In a statement, the committee said it had activated its election-integrity monitoring mechanism, a standard procedure used during every election. It added that complaints about voting procedures and possible errors in the results would be reviewed.
The CEC said its acting director general, Dean Livne, had informed all electoral lists about the procedure on October 25, two days before polling. Political parties were invited to identify polling stations where they believed the results required additional scrutiny.
“The committee received Likud’s request and is reviewing it as part of this operation,” the CEC said.
The review means the allegations are being examined, but does not establish that the claimed offences occurred.
OPPOSITION EXPLORES OPTIONS TO FORM A GOVERNMENT
Opposition leaders have argued that the results offer an opportunity to replace Netanyahu, provided the parties can overcome their differences and agree on a governing arrangement.
Democrats leader Yair Golan said the opposition should consider cooperating with Arab representatives to form a government. He argued that the combined strength of opposition parties and Arab lawmakers could provide the numbers needed for a parliamentary majority. He also called for a government that would represent all Israeli citizens.
Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen indicated that his party was prepared to help end Netanyahu’s tenure, advocating what he described as an equal partnership between Jewish and Arab citizens.
“Against a government of bloodshed, against a politics of supremacy, racism, and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative,” he wrote on X.
“The change comes through Jewish-Arab partnership, a true and equal partnership. No less than that, and no more than that,” he added.
Joint List faction chairman Ahmad Tibi also suggested that his party was willing to support an opposition-led government.
“The opposition bloc will be able to form a government if it has the courage. We are extending a hand and are ready to help,” he said in an interview with Army Radio.
However, such an arrangement would face substantial political challenges. Several opposition leaders have ruled out joining a coalition led by Netanyahu, while the extent to which other parties would be willing to depend on Arab lawmakers for parliamentary support remains uncertain.
HERZOG URGES PARTIES TO PREVENT ANOTHER ELECTION
With no clear route to a parliamentary majority, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has urged political leaders to approach coalition negotiations with an open mind and make every effort to avoid another election.
“We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections. So I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind,” Herzog said on Wednesday.
He said he expected to receive the official election results next week from Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg. Following that, he would begin consultations with representatives of the Knesset’s political factions to determine who could form a government.
Herzog also praised the high voter turnout, describing it as a “badge of honor for Israeli society” and evidence of the public’s “desire for democracy”.
The immediate challenge is whether Netanyahu or his opponents can assemble a coalition with sufficient parliamentary support. The final count and subsequent negotiations could still alter the political landscape.
Hundreds of thousands of special ballots remain to be counted, and the Central Elections Committee is expected to publish the official results by November 4.
With neither bloc currently holding the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, coalition negotiations will determine the next steps. If no side can secure enough support to form a government, Israel may have to hold another election.
