Netanyahu accuses Arab parties of stealing election as majority falls short

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has accused Arab political parties of stealing the Israeli general election, independent.ie, thejournal.ie, and The Telegraph reported. The allegations follow partial election counts that leave Netanyahu's political bloc short of a majority in parliament, according to independent.ie and BBC News. [1][2][4][7]

In a statement cited by independent.ie and thejournal.ie, Likud claimed Arab parties committed serious criminal offences, including bribery, threats, violence, and fraud. The party further accused the Arab parties of supporting terrorism and the annihilation of the Jewish state, according to thejournal.ie. The Jerusalem Post reported that Likud has demanded an investigation into the allegations. [1][2][11]

With 85 percent of the ballots counted, BBC News reported that Netanyahu's Likud and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies are on track to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party is set to win 48 seats, according to BBC News. Partial results showed Arab-led parties could hold a kingmaker role in forming a new government, thejournal.ie reported. France 24 added that the election featured the highest turnout in decades alongside historic inroads by Arab parties. [2][4][5]

Legislative elections were held on 27 October 2026 to elect all 120 members of the 26th Knesset. As FTMQ News reported earlier, neither political bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority, despite high turnout among Arab citizens positioning Arab parties to win a significant number of seats. With the vote remaining inconclusive, irishtimes.com reported that Eisenkot's victory appears increasingly out of reach, leaving Netanyahu set to remain caretaker prime minister as vote counting continues. [6][12][13][14]

Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have stated they will attempt to form a governing coalition, BBC News reported. Meanwhile, Politico reported that Netanyahu's political rivals are weighing whether to join forces with the Arab parties to assemble a government. [4][9]