Netanyahu's Likud party alleges election theft as vote count shows loss of majority
Final results gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats, below the 61 needed for a majority, while opposition and Arab-led parties secured the remaining seats; Likud claims the vote was stolen despite lack of evidence.
Israel's election commission certified that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud bloc won 53 of the 120 Knesset seats, falling short of the 61 seats required to form a government. The main opposition secured 48 seats and Arab-led parties obtained 19 seats.
Likud responded to the outcome with a statement claiming the election had been "stolen" and alleging foreign interference aimed at a "foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel and toppling of the right-wing government," though no evidence has been presented.
Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, head of the election committee, said serious suspicions of foreign interference had been raised and asked the Shin Bet security agency to investigate. Acting director general Dean Livne later said the investigation was based on classified intelligence and that the allegations were "entirely unfounded," adding that they would not affect the final results.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, dismissed Likud's claims, saying the party was trying to delegitimize the vote because it had lost. Arab-led Joint List also accused Netanyahu of attempting to steal the election.
President Isaac Herzog described the situation as a "sensitive moment" and called for a full investigation, warning against tarnishing any community that participated in the vote.
Analysts note that if opposition parties form a coalition with Arab-led groups, they could command a parliamentary majority, forcing Netanyahu to remain in a caretaker role while coalition talks continue.