Netanyahu's Likud claims Israel election "stolen" as bloc falls short of majority
Israel's Central Elections Commission finalized results showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-religious bloc with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition alliance with 48, neither reaching the 61 needed in the 120-seat Knesset. Arab-led lists Raam and the Joint List won a record 19 seats, positioning them as potential kingmakers. Likud alleged the election was "stolen" through bribery and foreign funding, prompting a Shin Bet probe; election officials said there was no basis for claims of systematic violations, and Qatar rejected the allegations. President Isaac Herzog is set to receive the results and begin coalition consultations.
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Israel Election Results Finalized, Netanyahu Bloc Short of Majority
Israel's Central Elections Commission confirmed final results showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-religious bloc won 53 seats, while the opposition alliance led by center-right candidate Gadi Eisenkot took 48. Neither camp reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Predominantly Arab lists Raam and the Joint List together secured a record 19 seats, potentially making them kingmakers. President Isaac Herzog will receive official results Wednesday and then consult party leaders before tasking someone with forming a government; negotiations could take weeks, and failure would trigger new elections. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's Likud alleged the election was "stolen" and demanded investigations into foreign funding of Arab lists, with Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling for arrests of their leaders. Raam chief Mansur Abbas and Qatar rejected the allegations, and opposition figures accused Netanyahu of trying to delegitimize the results. Turnout was 77.7 percent, the highest in decades.
Read sourceNetanyahu's party claims Israeli election stolen as results show him losing majority
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party has claimed the Israeli election was 'stolen' as results indicate he is losing his parliamentary majority, according to reports from PBS and AP News. The Washington Post reports Netanyahu alleges a stolen election as he seeks political survival amid uncertainty, while Axios states that after losing his majority, Netanyahu is trying to delegitimize the election results. Separately, The Jerusalem Post reports that Netanyahu's chief of staff provided intelligence leading to arrests in a vote bribery case involving the Ra'am party. The claims of a stolen election are attributed to Netanyahu and his party, not established fact.
Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu of trying to delegitimise election after coalition loses majority
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and Arab-led party leaders denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his Likud party alleged foreign interference and claimed Arab-led parties "stole" the election. Final results showed neither Netanyahu's bloc (53 seats) nor Eisenkot's bloc (48 seats) won a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, while the Arab party lists The Joint List and Ra'am won a record 19 seats, positioning them as potential kingmakers. Likud alleged voters were bribed to support Arab parties, prompting the Central Elections Committee to ask Shin Bet to investigate suspected illegal funding from Qatar and Turkey. Qatar denied the "ridiculous and dangerous" allegations. Shin Bet clarified its investigation did not implicate an entire community, and the CEC's acting director general said there was "no basis for allegations of systematic violations of election integrity." Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of an "orchestrated and organized campaign to delegitimize the election results."
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Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu of trying to delegitimise election results
Israeli opposition figures have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to delegitimise the country's election results after his coalition lost its majority. According to reports from BBC, Axios, and AP News, Netanyahu's party has amplified unproven claims that Arab-led parties 'stole' the election. The Jerusalem Post also reported that intelligence related to a vote bribery case involving the Ra'am party was provided by Netanyahu's chief of staff. Al Jazeera noted that Israel's anti-Qatar campaign has bled into the elections. The accusations raise concerns about the integrity of Israel's democratic process and the potential for political instability.
Read sourceNetanyahu's party amplifies unproven claims Arab-led parties stole Israel's election
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is amplifying unproven claims that Arab-led parties have 'stolen' the country's election, according to AP News. Axios reports that after losing his majority, Netanyahu is trying to delegitimize the election results. The Jerusalem Post notes a report that intelligence in a Ra'am vote bribery case was given by Netanyahu's chief of staff. The Times of Israel reports that the election panel director rejected claims of widespread voter fraud, and Shin Bet said a foreign interference probe is 'limited.' The Washington Post reports Netanyahu alleges a stolen election as he seeks political survival amid uncertainty. These claims remain unproven and are contested by election officials.
Read sourceIsrael Debates Election Legitimacy After Netanyahu Alleges Arab Parties 'Stole' Vote
Two days after Israel's parliamentary election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party alleged on X that Arab parties 'stole' the vote using bribery, threats, violence, forgery, and banned voter-mobilization software, and said hundreds of tips would be handed to the Shin Bet and police. Central Election Committee chief Justice Noam Sohlberg asked the Shin Bet to investigate, including possible foreign interference; Ynet cited unnamed officials suggesting Qatar may have paid 'tens of millions,' though the report said the evidence was not concrete. Haaretz said the Likud claims lacked basis. Gadi Eisenkot's Yesh Atid-aligned party said he was briefed by Shin Bet chief David Zini and supports a swift, transparent probe. With Likud's bloc at 53 seats and Eisenkot's at 48, Arab parties' record 19 seats could decide coalition formation. Qatar's spokesman dismissed the allegations as 'ridiculous and dangerous.'
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