Netanyahu's Party Accuses Arab Parties of Election Theft Amid Lost Majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party has amplified unsubstantiated allegations that Arab-led parties "stole" the recent election, coinciding with final results showing his bloc losing its majority in the 120-member parliament. The party also issued warnings of "Israel's Islamisation."

Opposition figures have accused Netanyahu's Likud party of demonizing the Arab population to delegitimize the election outcome, following a historically strong performance by Arab-led parties. If the remaining opposition parties were to ally with Arab parties—a politically rare and potentially risky move—they could form a majority government.

Early Friday, election officials reported that Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats, falling short of the 68 seats it previously held. The main opposition garnered 48 seats, and Arab-led parties won 19 seats. The results are complete but await official certification and submission to the president next Wednesday.

Likud began disseminating claims of malfeasance by Arab-led parties after initial exit polls indicated a setback for Netanyahu. The rhetoric intensified after the head of Israel's election committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, stated he had received reports of "serious suspicions" of foreign interference. In a letter to the Shin Bet security agency, Sohlberg requested an investigation, though he could not verify the claims himself.

Netanyahu's party issued a strong statement asserting, "The elections in Israel have been stolen!" The party claimed the alleged interference aimed at "facilitating a foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamisation of Israel and toppling of the right wing government." Israeli media reported that Likud members were accusing Qatar, a country perceived by many Israelis as a patron of Hamas, of involvement. Qatar swiftly denied these allegations, calling them "ridiculous and dangerous."

The election commission, announcing its results, stated the investigation was based on classified intelligence but its acting director general, Dean Livne, cautioned that reports about the probe were "entirely unfounded" and would not affect the final results or target any specific population group.

Netanyahu's chief rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, stated that Likud was attempting to delegitimize the results because "they lost." Eisenkot humorously commented on the foreign interference claims, welcoming Netanyahu's condemnation of Qatari involvement.

Analysts suggest that by casting doubt on the vote, Netanyahu might be positioning himself to prevent a potential coalition between his opponents and Arab parties. Netanyahu has previously characterized an alliance with Arab parties as treasonous for Eisenkot, who could leverage such a partnership to unseat him.

The Shin Bet agency, in an effort to de-escalate tensions, clarified that its investigation was not intended to "cast aspersions" on any segment of the population that "exercised its right to vote in a democratic and lawful manner." The elections committee also noted in a letter that while an investigation was ongoing, "allegations of systematic violations of electoral integrity are baseless."

Leading up to the vote, Netanyahu and Likud had portrayed Arab-led parties as a threat to Israel, a tactic critics argued was intended to further marginalize Arab citizens. These citizens, who constitute 20 percent of the population, often face suspicion due to their ties to other Palestinians. However, campaign attacks, coupled with public dissatisfaction with Netanyahu and his government, motivated a record number of Arab voters to participate.

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 investigation into election interference but stated his party was not involved and accused Netanyahu of inciting.

President Isaac Herzog described the situation as a "sensitive moment," urging a thorough investigation and warning against tarnishing an entire community that participated in democracy. The unfolding events highlight complex decisions regarding potential historic alliances between Jewish and Arab parties, or the possibility of parties that campaigned against Netanyahu joining forces with him.

Netanyahu remains in power while the formation of a 61-seat majority government is debated. If Netanyahu loses office, critics suggest it would trigger accountability for his alleged corruption and an inquiry into security failures preceding the October 7th attack. Arab-led parties, even without joining a coalition, could wield significant influence by supporting Netanyahu's opponents, potentially controlling the parliamentary agenda and advancing legislation.

Eisenkot has expressed conditional openness to collaborating with Arab-led parties. Ahmad Tibi, a key figure in the Arab-led Joint List, indicated that the opposition bloc had approached him regarding replacing the Knesset speaker, and his party would support their candidate. Small rallies supporting coalitions that include Arab-led parties have taken place in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Historically, no Arab party had joined an Israeli coalition government until a brief period in 2021. Failure to form a government could lead to new elections. President Herzog and Eisenkot have both expressed a desire to avoid this scenario.