By Salma El-Sakka
Israeli opposition leaders have denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleging foreign interference after the recent election left his right-wing coalition without a parliamentary majority. The main opposition figure, Gadi Eisenkot, and Arab-led party leaders said Netanyahu's claims are an orchestrated campaign to undermine the legitimacy of Arab parties, which won a record 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Election results and Arab party gains
Final results confirmed that neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the Jewish opposition secured a majority. Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot's bloc secured 48. The two Arab party lists — the Joint List and Ra'am — defied expectations by winning 19 seats combined, a surge driven by high turnout among Arab voters who make up about one-fifth of Israel's population. Their new strength positions them as potential kingmakers in coalition negotiations.
Allegations of foreign funding
On Thursday, Likud accused Arab parties of "stealing" the election by allegedly receiving illegal funding from Qatar and Turkey to boost voter turnout. The Central Elections Committee (CEC) referred "serious suspicions" of foreign interference to the Shin Bet security agency for investigation. Israeli media reported that the CEC was presented with a claim that Qatar provided funds aimed at increasing Arab community turnout. Qatar's Foreign Ministry categorically denied the allegations, calling them "ridiculous and dangerous" and accusing Israeli politicians of a disinformation campaign.
Shin Bet investigation and official responses
Shin Bet later clarified that its investigation did not implicate an entire community that voted legally. Acting CEC Director General Dean Livne stated there was "no basis for allegations of systematic violations of election integrity." Eisenkot, who was briefed on the probe, said it was too early to determine if any wrongdoing occurred and accused Netanyahu of running "an orchestrated and organized campaign to delegitimize the election results." Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, part of the Joint List, dismissed the claims as a "racist blood libel" intended to overturn the outcome.
Netanyahu's campaign against Arab turnout
Throughout election day, Netanyahu posted on social media that high Arab turnout constituted an "emergency" and a "matter of life or death" for the Israeli right. He also shared AI-generated images of Arab voters at polling stations in an effort to mobilize right-wing supporters. Critics view these actions as part of a broader strategy to make it politically impossible for Eisenkot to form a government with Arab party support.
Possible coalition scenarios
Three plausible government formations now exist: a national unity government between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, a right-wing coalition relying on defectors from Eisenkot's bloc, or an Eisenkot-led minority government backed by Ra'am and supported from outside by the Joint List. While Eisenkot and most of his bloc have previously refused to govern with Arab parties, recent speculation suggests an agreement could be reached. A Hebrew University snap poll showed the most popular option among opposition voters was for Eisenkot to form a minority government with Ra'am, supported by the Joint List.
