Netanyahu hurls fraud claims as Arab parties win historic support
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that voter fraud helped drive Arab parties' record election gains, a charge denied by Arab leaders and now being reviewed by Israeli authorities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Arab parties' unprecedented gains in the recent election were partly the product of voter fraud, even though he presented no evidence. Israeli officials confirmed that authorities are investigating the allegations, while also saying the vote’s overall integrity was not systematically undermined.
The accusation came after a high Arab turnout blocked a clear majority for either Netanyahu's bloc, which holds 53 seats, or the rival coalition led by Gadi Eisenkot, which holds 48 seats. Arab parties are projected to win 19 seats, a historic high for the community that makes up about 21% of the population.
Arab Joint List leader Ahmad Tibi condemned Netanyahu's remarks as a "toxic campaign" meant to delegitimize the election results and discourage any cooperation between Arab parties and Eisenkot. Ra'am head Mansour Abbas denied any involvement and called for a full investigation.
The head of Israel's Central Election Committee, Supreme Court jurist Noam Sohlberg, asked the Shin Bet to investigate possible foreign interference. Likud raised concerns about what it described as an attack on democracy and suggested Qatar's involvement, a claim Qatar rejected.
President Isaac Herzog said the allegations must be examined while stressing that the community that voted should not be collectively smeared. After the final vote count, Herzog will consult party leaders to appoint a candidate most likely to form a government.