By Salma El-Sakka
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of deploying smear tactics to retain power after his far-right coalition lost its parliamentary majority in Tuesday's election. Netanyahu claimed that Arab Israeli parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, used foreign backing to “steal” the vote, and called on the Shin Bet security service to investigate alleged vote buying in Palestinian communities.
Netanyahu's Allegations and Calls for Investigation
The prime minister and his Likud party posted a statement describing the alleged violations as “an attack on democracy whose purpose is to lead to a foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamisation of Israel, and the overthrow of rightwing rule.” Netanyahu urged an investigation into supposed foreign funding, with press reports naming Qatar as the accused power.
Opposition and Officials Reject Claims
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu and Likud of a coordinated campaign to delegitimize the election results. President Isaac Herzog rebuked the prime minister for “tarnishing an entire community.” The central elections committee and police officials said there was no basis for the allegations, describing the voting as relatively trouble-free.
Election Results and Balance of Power
With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu's coalition holds 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Eisenkot's bloc has 48, and the two Arab parties together hold 19 seats, a historic high. The Arab Israeli turnout surged amid anger over discrimination and fears of more extremist governance.
Accusations of Foreign Meddling
Qatar's government “categorically” denied any involvement in the elections. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett noted the irony of Netanyahu denouncing Qatar while his own advisers face accusations of taking Qatari money for promoting the Gulf monarchy's image.
Voting Irregularities and Suppression Attempts
In Nazareth, the largest majority-Palestinian town in Israel, voting was brisk with few irregularities. Some ballot packets arrived in Hebrew only, and far-right party monitors attempted procedural ploys to slow voting, but were largely unsuccessful.
Potential Coalition Building and Inquiry Bill
Leaders of the Joint List and the Zionist “Change” bloc have ruled out a formal coalition but discussed tactical voting to unseat Knesset speaker Amir Ohana and pass consensus legislation, including a commission of inquiry into the security failures preceding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which Netanyahu has blocked for two years.
