Netanyahu Alleges Election Stolen by Arab Parties Amid Vote Counting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged on Wednesday that the general election was "stolen" by Arab parties amid ongoing vote counting. Netanyahu and his Likud party accused Arab factions of voter fraud, bribery, threats, and violence, while exit polls showed a closely contested race for the Knesset.

Likud's Allegations and Demands

As vote counting continued, the Likud party posted statements on X alleging serious criminal irregularities at Arab polling stations. The party claimed that hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence—including cash envelopes, allegations of multiple voting, and prohibited software usage—were being submitted to the police, the Shin Bet, and the Central Elections Committee.

• Reported Claims: Likud alleged voter fraud, bribery, threats, and violence.
• Action Taken: The party demanded thorough investigations and called on the Central Elections Committee to investigate before results are finalised.
• Unverified Status: The material provided in the reports does not independently establish whether the alleged irregularities occurred.

Response from Arab-Majority Parties

Following Netanyahu's statements, Yousef Jabareen, chairman of Israel's Arab-majority Joint List alliance, responded by stating that his party was prepared to help remove the Netanyahu government. Jabareen advocated for a Jewish-Arab political partnership as an alternative to what he termed a politics of supremacy and exclusion.

Exit Poll Projections

The allegations emerged as exit polls offered varying seat projections for the Knesset:

• Direct Polls: Projected 55 seats for Netanyahu's bloc, 49 for the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, and 16 for Arab parties.
• Kan 11: Projected 51 seats each for the pro-Netanyahu and anti-Netanyahu blocs in an updated poll.
• Channel 14 (Filber): Projected 60 seats for Netanyahu's bloc, 43 for the opposition, and 17 for Arab parties.

Netanyahu reiterated his stance against forming any government reliant on Arab-led parliamentary parties, calling instead for a strong right-wing national government. Readers can verify official final results through announcements by the Central Elections Committee of Israel once all votes are officially tallied.