Netanyahu Says Israel Elections Were ‘Stolen’ As He Fails To Get Majority - Newsweek

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Arab-led political parties of stealing the country's election, demanding an investigation into alleged voter fraud as preliminary results leave his Likud-led bloc short of the parliamentary majority needed to form a government.

In a statement posted Wednesday, Netanyahu alleged that Arab-led parties had engaged in bribery, threats, violence, forgery and the use of prohibited software to mobilize voters. The party said it was transferring hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence to Israel's police, domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet and Central Elections Committee, and called for a thorough investigation.

"The elections in the State of Israel were stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and the elimination of the Jewish state through serious criminal offenses of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries, and the use of prohibited software to mobilize voters," the statement said.

The allegations came as Arab-led parties made significant gains in Tuesday's election, potentially placing them in a decisive position in negotiations over the next government.

The developments follow President Donald Trump's statement on Tuesday that his endorsement helped Netanyahu's performance, despite the prime minister's uncertain path to forming a government.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House, Likud, Yashar and Arab-led parties for comment. Newsweek has also reached out to the Israel Election Committee for comment.

Likud said it had gathered evidence of alleged irregularities at multiple polling stations, including what it described as thousands of envelopes containing cash and ballots for Ra'am, an Arab-led party headed by Mansour Abbas.

The party also alleged threats and violence against polling station officials, multiple voting behind voting screens, voting under duplicate identities, discrepancies between the number of ballots and registered voters, and the use of prohibited software to mobilize voters.

Likud called on police and the Shin Bet to investigate the allegations and prosecute anyone found responsible. It also demanded an immediate response from the Central Elections Committee, arguing that the alleged offenses had damaged the integrity of the vote and the voting rights of Israeli citizens.

The committee said it had received Likud's request and was reviewing it as part of its established election-integrity monitoring process. An election committee official had earlier dismissed fraud claims in an interview with Israeli television, according to The Times of Israel.

With approximately 85 percent of the total vote counted, preliminary projections put Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc at 53 seats, compared with 48 for the bloc aligned with his principal challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Arab-led parties were projected to hold the remaining 19 seats.

A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset.

Likud remained the largest individual party, receiving approximately 20.8 percent of the vote, compared with 16.1 percent for Eisenkot's Yashar party. But winning the largest share of the vote does not automatically give Netanyahu the parliamentary support required to govern.

The results represent a decline for Likud from the 23.4 percent it received in the 2022 election. Nevertheless, Netanyahu’s party appears to have performed better than some early exit polls suggested, complicating initial expectations that his government could be decisively unseated.

Netanyahu's bloc would need eight additional seats for a government majority, while Eisenkot's bloc would need 13, based on the current projections.

The Arab-led parties could therefore play a significant role in determining who forms the next government. Eisenkot has left open the possibility of cooperating with them under certain conditions, although the arrangement could cost him support from other prospective coalition partners.

Netanyahu has rejected the prospect of partnering with Arab-led parties, dismissing such an arrangement as unacceptable and warning Wednesday against what he called a “dangerous government” that might include them. The Arab-led parties have also ruled out joining a coalition with him.

The count is not yet complete. Absentee ballots, including those cast by military personnel and diplomats, are expected to continue being counted through Thursday evening.

The allegations follow Trump's assertion late Tuesday that Netanyahu had performed better than expected, thanks to his support.

"I actually heard that the poll numbers were wrong," Trump told reporters when asked about suggestions that Netanyahu had lost ground. "I'm hearing that he did very well."

Trump said the contest was close and argued that his endorsement had benefited Netanyahu.

"When the endorsement went out, it helped him a lot," Trump said.

He suggested Netanyahu might be winning or tied, adding that a tie could "sort of be considered a win" because forming an Israeli government is "a big chess match."

Trump also cautioned that the outcome remained uncertain. He said he had not spoken with Netanyahu about the results and described it as "a little bit early" to draw conclusions.

"I'm hearing that in Israel that he, I mean, the top people are saying, 'Wow, he did a lot better than people thought,'" Trump said. "Sort of like maybe a stalemate or a win, but we'll find out pretty soon."

Trump’s comments reflected his longstanding political relationship with Netanyahu and his interest in the Israeli leader’s continued influence. The two leaders have maintained a close political relationship, particularly on security policy and their shared opposition to Iran.

Netanyahu has also emphasized his relationship with Trump as a central element of his efforts to project strength internationally. During his election-night remarks, Netanyahu praised the strength of Israel and said the country would work with Trump to confront its enemies

Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s principal challenger, has left open the possibility of working with Arab-led parties under certain conditions. Such an arrangement could provide the opposition with a route to the 61 seats needed for a majority, although it would require difficult negotiations and could alienate more right-leaning members of Eisenkot’s potential coalition.

Eisenkot has called for the formation of a new government and argued that the election demonstrated public demand for political change. His party has sought assurances from potential Arab partners on issues including recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, opposition to Hamas and changes to military conscription policy.

The prospect of cooperation with Arab-led parties remains politically sensitive. Arab citizens make up roughly one-fifth of Israel’s population, and questions of national identity, Palestinian rights and the role of Arab political representation have long shaped coalition negotiations.

The United Arab List, led by Mansour Abbas, previously joined an Israeli governing coalition in 2021, making it the first independent Arab party to do so. Its showing in the current election could again give Arab-led parties considerable influence over the formation of a government.

Some opposition figures have advocated working with them to remove Netanyahu from power. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, has argued that Israel must move beyond political divisions between Jewish and Arab voters.

However, Eisenkot faces a balancing act. Cooperation with Arab-led parties could give his bloc the numbers needed to govern, but it could also cost him support from other prospective coalition partners.

If neither side can assemble a majority, Israel could face another election. The country held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 amid repeated political deadlock.

President Isaac Herzog, who will play a central role in the process of selecting a candidate to form a government, urged political leaders to avoid another vote.

“One thing must be clear, and I said this before the elections too: we must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections,” Herzog said Wednesday.

The immediate question is whether the election authorities uncover evidence supporting any of Likud's allegations and whether the complaints affect the final results.

At the same time, coalition negotiations are likely to continue. With neither bloc securing the 61 seats needed for a majority, Israel faces several possible outcomes.

Netanyahu will remain prime minister while negotiations unfold, with the outcome depending on whether either side can secure sufficient parliamentary support. Although Likud has emerged as the largest party, that advantage does not guarantee Netanyahu another term. With the final vote count still underway, weeks of political maneuvering could lie ahead before Israel's next government becomes clear.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas