Jerusalem, Oct 2026 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has alleged that the country's election was “stolen” by Arab-led political parties, triggering demands for investigations into alleged electoral misconduct as the closely contested results left the major political blocs short of a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu's Likud party alleged serious irregularities in the election process and accused Arab-led parties of attempting to undermine the State of Israel. It called for investigations by the police and Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, into allegations of voter fraud, intimidation and other suspected electoral offences.
“The elections in Israel were stolen by Arab parties that support terror and the elimination of the Jewish state through serious criminal offences of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries and the use of illegal software to mobilise voters,” Likud said in a statement.
The party demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged use of prohibited software to mobilise voters and urged the relevant authorities, including the Central Elections Commission (CEC), to respond to its concerns.
The allegations come amid a strong electoral performance by Ra’am and the Joint List, two Arab-led political groupings that are projected to secure a combined 19 seats. Their anticipated gains could give them considerable influence in negotiations to form Israel's next government.
With neither Netanyahu's political bloc nor the main opposition appearing to have secured enough seats for a clear parliamentary majority, the election outcome has opened the possibility of complex coalition negotiations.
Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out cooperation with Arab-led parties, complicating the political calculations surrounding government formation. Their projected representation could nevertheless make them a significant factor in parliamentary discussions as political groups explore possible alliances.
The election controversy has added another layer of uncertainty to an already closely contested political landscape. However, the allegations of electoral fraud made by Likud remain claims by the party, and the supplied reports do not establish that the alleged offences occurred.
Meanwhile, the counting of absentee ballots, known as “double envelope” votes, is underway, according to the Central Elections Commission, as reported by local media.
These ballots include votes cast by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, prisoners, medical personnel, people with medical conditions and Israeli representatives serving at diplomatic missions abroad, The Times of Israel reported.
The CEC said the counting of regular votes had also not been fully completed. Results had been processed from 11,712 of the country's 12,018 regular polling stations, representing 5,126,759 voters.
The remaining polling stations were undergoing standard verification procedures, the commission said.
The final count, including absentee ballots and votes still being verified, could affect the distribution of parliamentary seats and the subsequent coalition-building process.
As Israel awaits the completion of the election count, the projected gains by Arab-led parties, Likud's allegations of electoral misconduct and the absence of a clear majority are set to shape the next phase of the country's political negotiations.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
