Netanyahu Says Arab Parties Hijacked Israel's Election Result
Tel Aviv, October 29: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Arab parties of having 'stolen' Israel's election, as the tightly contested result leaves no bloc with a clear path to a Knesset majority. Neither Netanyahu's alliance nor the leading opposition force has secured enough seats to govern alone.
The results have pushed Arab parties into a pivotal position, with projections showing they could win a record 19 seats. As parties consider how to build the next government, the showing of these lawmakers may prove decisive in coalition bargaining.
Netanyahu's Likud party released a statement claiming serious irregularities in the electoral process. It further charged that Arab parties were trying to weaken the Israeli state.
The Likud statement said, "Israel's elections have been taken over by Arab parties. These parties support terrorism and want the Jewish state destroyed. They have committed serious criminal offenses, including bribery, threats, violence and fraud, and used illegal software to gather voters."
Amid these accusations, Likud has called for a police investigation into alleged electoral misconduct. It has also asked Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, to probe allegations of voter deception, intimidation and other potential election violations.
The party additionally claimed that prohibited software was used to mobilize voters and requested a 'thorough investigation' into these claims. Likud has demanded a prompt reply from the Election Committee and urged the relevant authorities to examine the alleged irregularities.
The accusations come as the Ra'am and Joint List alliances performed strongly at the polls. Arab parties are together expected to take 19 seats.
Those potential seats could give them substantial sway in talks over forming a government, since neither Netanyahu's camp nor the main opposition appears set to win a clear majority.
Netanyahu has repeatedly declared that he will not cooperate with Arab parties. That stance makes their possible electoral gains a major factor in the political strategy around forming a government.
The Central Elections Committee has said that double-envelope ballots are still being tallied. Local media reports indicate that the count of regular votes has not yet been completed.
According to a report, the double-envelope votes come mainly from absentee voters, including soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces, prisoners, medical staff, people dealing with health issues and Israeli representatives posted abroad.
The committee also reported that 11,712 of the 12,018 regular polling stations have been processed, reflecting votes from 5,126,759 voters. The verification process for the remaining stations is underway.