Arab parties score historic win in Israel polls, putting Netanyahu's hopes at risk

Arab political parties have emerged as a major force in Israel's election, securing a record number of seats and leaving both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot short of the numbers needed to form a government.With more than 85 per cent of votes counted, preliminary results on Wednesday gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats, compared with 48 for Eisenkot's bloc. Arab parties were projected to win a historic 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, where 61 seats are required for a majority. The results were not final, with votes still to be counted.The strong showing follows an unusually high turnout among Arab voters, many of whom had previously stayed away from national elections. Arab citizens make up around 20 per cent of Israel's population, and the campaign saw growing mobilisation amid anger over the government's policies and concerns about racism and discrimination.In towns such as Majd al-Krum in northern Israel, turnout reached 85 per cent of eligible voters. The result has given Arab lawmakers greater potential influence over the formation of the next government, although it remains uncertain whether the opposition will agree to rely on their support.Netanyahu's Likud alleges election was stolenAs the results showed no clear path to a majority for either main bloc, Netanyahu's Likud party alleged that Arab parties had manipulated the election and demanded an investigation into alleged voter fraud."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 offences of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries, and the use of prohibited software to mobilise voters," the party said in a statement shared by Netanyahu on X.Likud claimed it was submitting hundreds of testimonies and other pieces of evidence to the police, the Shin Bet domestic security agency and the Central Elections Committee. It cited alleged cash payments to voters, threats against polling officials, multiple voting and discrepancies in ballot records."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," Likud said.The party also called on the Central Elections Committee to investigate the allegations before the results were finalised, describing the alleged offences as "a serious blow to Israeli democracy and the voting rights of Israeli citizens".These claims have not been established as fact. An official from the Central Elections Committee had earlier dismissed claims of widespread fraud, according to Israeli media reports.Will Arab parties help the opposition form a governmentThe election has left both main camps facing a difficult task. Netanyahu's bloc remains short of the 61 seats needed for a majority, while Eisenkot's opposition bloc also cannot reach that threshold without support from parties outside its current grouping.Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, has urged the opposition to work with the Arab-led Joint List and Ra'am parties to replace Netanyahu. The Joint List has also indicated it is ready to help pave the way for Netanyahu's removal.However, forming such an arrangement could prove difficult. Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed a government that depends on Arab parties, while some opposition leaders have also been reluctant to enter an alliance with them.The Arab parties' record performance has therefore made them potentially decisive in negotiations, but it does not guarantee that they will join a governing coalition. With counting continuing and no bloc holding a majority, Israel faces potentially prolonged negotiations over who will lead its next government.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.