Netanyahu's Likud claims Israeli election was 'stolen' as Arab parties emerge as potential kingmakers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party claimed on October 28 that Arab political parties had "stolen" the parliamentary election through widespread fraud, demanding a police and security service investigation after the parties achieved a record electoral performance.
According to The Times of Israel, Likud accused the Arab-led Ra'am and Joint List parties of bribery, voter intimidation, double voting, forgery, and using illegal software to mobilize voters.
The party said it had submitted hundreds of testimonies and other evidence to police, the Shin Bet domestic security agency, and the Central Elections Committee (CEC).
The allegations have not been substantiated publicly. A senior election official had dismissed fraud claims earlier that day, while the CEC confirmed it was reviewing Likud's complaints under its routine election-integrity procedures.
Arab parties could hold the balance of power in the next Knesset.
With more than 85% of ballots counted on October 28, Ra'am and the Joint List were projected to win a combined 19 seats, nearly double their previous total of 10.
Netanyahu's bloc was projected to secure 53 seats, while opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and his allies were expected to win 48. Neither bloc would reach the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel's 120-member parliament.
The results could give Arab parties a decisive role in determining the next government.
Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen told AFP he was willing to cooperate with an opposition-led government to remove Netanyahu but ruled out formally joining a coalition under current political circumstances.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Likud had prepared allegations of electoral fraud in Arab communities even before the October 27 vote, anticipating a possible defeat.
The election was Israel's first since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.
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