Netanyahu's party claims Israeli election was stolen as bloc loses majority
Likud has amplified unsubstantiated allegations of foreign interference by Arab-led parties after final results showed Netanyahu's bloc short of a Knesset majority, while an election committee probe proceeds.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party on Thursday amplified unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties had « stolen » the election, potentially with foreign help, as final results showed his bloc had lost its majority in parliament. Opponents accused Netanyahu of demonizing Arab citizens after a historic showing by Arab-led parties, and of trying to delegitimize the outcome.
Results released by election officials showed Netanyahu's bloc winning 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, well below the 68 seats it held at its peak in the previous parliament. His main opposition won 48 seats, and Arab-led parties secured the remaining 19. The count is complete, but the results still must be certified and submitted to President Isaac Herzog next Wednesday. If the rest of the opposition teamed up with Arab parties, a rare and politically risky step, they could potentially form a majority government. A 61-seat majority is needed to control the Knesset.
Likud had been spreading claims of malfeasance by Arab-led parties since exit polls indicated a setback for the prime minister in Tuesday's vote. The claims escalated after Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads Israel's election committee, said that « serious suspicions » of foreign interference had been brought before him. In a letter to the Shin Bet security agency, Sohlberg said he could not verify the claims but, given their seriousness, asked the agency to investigate.
Likud responded with an inflammatory statement declaring that « the elections in Israel have been stolen! » The party claimed, without evidence, that the alleged interference was aimed at facilitating a foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel and the toppling of the right-wing government. Israeli media reported that members of Netanyahu's party were accusing Qatar, which many Israelis view as a patron of Hamas. Qatar quickly denied the allegations, calling them « ridiculous and dangerous. »
The election commission said the investigation was based on classified intelligence. Its acting director general, Dean Livne, did not elaborate in a video statement but warned that reports about the probe had been « entirely unfounded. » He said it did not affect the final results to be submitted to the president, nor did it concern any particular sector of the population. The Shin Bet, seeking to calm tensions, said its investigation was not meant to « cast aspersions » on a section of the population that « exercised its right to vote in a democratic and lawful manner. » The committee also said that, although an investigation was underway, « allegations of systematic violations of electoral integrity are baseless, » and it wants findings from the Shin Bet within a week.
Netanyahu's main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, said Likud was trying to delegitimize the results. « They are doing this because they lost, » he said. Eisenkot mocked the foreign-interference accusation, saying he welcomed that Netanyahu was « finally condemning Qatari involvement in the State of Israel. » Netanyahu has long faced accusations that former top aides accepted money from Qatar.
The campaign itself drew criticism. Before the vote, Netanyahu and Likud portrayed Arab-led parties as a danger to Israel, which critics called an attempt to further marginalize Arab citizens, who make up about 20% of the population and are often viewed with suspicion because of their sympathies with other Palestinians. Those attacks, along with anger over Netanyahu and his far-right government, brought outraged Arab voters to the polls as never before. Yair Golan, head of the Democrats party, accused Netanyahu of « attempting to undermine the election results through an ugly delegitimization campaign directed against the will of the public — and against the Arab public in particular. » The Arab-led Joint List party asserted that « Netanyahu is working to steal the election. » Mansour Abbas, head of the Arab-led Ra'am party, welcomed the interference probe, said his party had nothing to do with the case, and accused Netanyahu of incitement.
Herzog called the moment « sensitive » and urged a full investigation, warning that « we must not tarnish an entire community that sought to exercise its right to vote and take an active part in democracy. » The developments raise difficult decisions for the weeks ahead, including whether some Jewish and Arab parties will form a historic alliance, and whether parties that campaigned on ousting Netanyahu will join forces with him. Netanyahu remains in charge while the race for a majority plays out, though critics say a loss of office would set off a cascade of consequences.
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