Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party has alleged that Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election, potentially with foreign assistance, as final results showed his bloc had lost its majority in parliament. As per the poll results released on Thursday, Netanyahu’s bloc has won 53 seats, while the main opposition bagged 48 seats and Arab-led parties — the other 19. The results will be submitted to the country’s president next Wednesday.
‘This is a severe blow to Israeli democracy,’ says Netanyahu’s party
Netanyahu’s party, Likud in a post on X alleged that “the elections in Israel were stolen by Arab parties.” The party has also shared evidences of election theft with police, the Shin Bet, and the Central Elections Committee. “We demand from the police and the Shin Bet a thorough investigation into the election theft by the Arab parties and the full prosecution of the criminals. We demand from the Central Elections Committee an immediate response to investigate these criminal offenses that have severely undermined the integrity of the elections in Israel and the election results. This is a severe blow to Israeli democracy and the voting rights of Israeli citizens. The law enforcement agencies must act with an iron fist and immediately,” read the post.
The Israeli media reported that members of Netanyahu’s party were accusing Qatar – a country that many Israelis view as a patron of Hamas, the Gaza-based militant group. However, Qatar issued a quick denial, calling the allegations “ridiculous and dangerous.”
Meanwhile, the strong performance of Arab-led parties has reignited debate over Israel’s national identity and the political participation of its Arab citizens. “We have no future here if we do not stop being afraid,” said Yair Golan, whose Democrats party supports including Arab-led parties in a governing coalition. “We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes.”
Arab citizens of Israel are largely descendants of Palestinians who remained within the country following its establishment in 1948. They frequently face discrimination and are often viewed with suspicion because of their support for Palestinian rights.That distrust intensified following the October 7, 2023, attack, despite the fact that Arab citizens were also among those killed and abducted.
–With inputs from AP.
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