Likud Accuses Arab Parties of Stealing Vote as Netanyahu Loses Majority

Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has accused Arab parties of stealing Israel's parliamentary election through fraud, bribery and intimidation after partial results left his governing bloc short of a majority and projected record gains for Arab representation.

The allegations, issued on Wednesday, October 28, remain unverified. Israel's Central Elections Committee said it had found "no indications of systematic tampering with ballot slips", while continuing to examine individual complaints.

Likud Alleges Coordinated Election Fraud

Likud accused Arab political parties of manipulating the October 27 vote through criminal activity, including voter intimidation, cash payments and the use of unauthorized election software.

"The elections in the State of Israel were stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and the destruction of the Jewish state, through serious criminal offenses involving bribery, threats, violence, fraud, and the use of prohibited software to mobilize voters," the party said.

Likud said it was forwarding hundreds of witness accounts and pieces of purported evidence to police, the Shin Bet security service and the Central Elections Committee.

The allegations concern polling stations in Arab communities. Likud cited suspected cash payments accompanied by Ra'am ballot papers, voting under duplicate identities, threats against election workers and discrepancies between ballot envelopes and voter records.

The party also alleged that multiple people had entered voting booths together and that unauthorized software had been deployed to increase turnout.

Likud demanded immediate intervention by election authorities and security agencies, describing the alleged conduct as "a serious violation of Israeli democracy."

Election Officials Report No Systematic Tampering

The Central Elections Committee has not substantiated Likud's broader claims of coordinated electoral manipulation.

Police confirmed three arrests in the Negev and the seizure of more than NIS 24,000 in cash alongside Ra'am ballot papers. The arrests have not been linked to senior party officials.

Likud submitted approximately 775 complaints on election day, an increase from an earlier reported figure of 620. No formal court challenge has been filed.

Netanyahu had already accused Ra'am activists during Tuesday's voting of attempting to "steal the election from us."

Haaretz and Channel 12 reportedly said Likud had prepared a narrative alleging a stolen election before voters went to the polls.

Arab Parties Make Historic Gains as Netanyahu Bloc Falls Short

Partial results, with approximately 85% to 93% of ballots counted, indicated that Netanyahu's bloc would secure about 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, eight short of the 61 required for a parliamentary majority.

Likud remained the largest individual party, projected to win 26 to 27 seats, compared with approximately 32 previously.

Its coalition partners were projected to secure roughly seven seats for United Torah Judaism, six to seven for Shas, seven for Otzma Yehudit and six for the Religious Zionism-Zehut alliance.

The Jewish-led opposition bloc was projected to win approximately 48 seats, including around 21 for Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party and 11 to 12 for the Bennett-Lapid B'Yachad alliance.

The Democrats, led by Yair Golan, were projected to secure eight seats, with Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beiteinu taking seven.

Arab parties, meanwhile, were projected to win approximately 19 seats, surpassing their previous record of 15 in 2020.

The Joint List, comprising Hadash, Ta'al and Balad, was projected to secure about 12 seats, while Mansour Abbas's Ra'am was expected to win seven.

The figures leave neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the Jewish-led opposition with the parliamentary majority required to form a government independently.

Opposition Rejects Netanyahu's Claims

Abbas had dismissed Netanyahu's earlier election-day allegations as "lies" and "incitement", rejecting claims that Arab parties had secured their electoral gains through unlawful practices.

Eisenkot said the electorate had rejected Netanyahu and pledged to pursue a change of government.

Golan called for cooperation with Arab parties, arguing that a broader parliamentary alignment could command approximately 65 to 67 seats.

Joint List figures Ahmad Tibi and Yousef Jabareen also indicated a willingness to support efforts to remove Netanyahu from office.

The potential parliamentary arithmetic leaves Arab parties central to negotiations over the next government, although their participation or support remains politically contested.

Final Count Could Reshape Coalition Calculations

Tuesday's election, the first since October 7, 2023, recorded turnout of 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades.

Outstanding ballots cast through the double-envelope system, including those used by soldiers and diplomats, could affect the allocation of approximately 10 to 12 parliamentary seats.

The full count is expected around October 29, with the official distribution of seats potentially delayed until early November.

President Isaac Herzog has urged political leaders to approach coalition negotiations with an "open mind" and avoid another election.

For now, Likud's allegations remain unproven, while the emerging results point to an election in which record Arab representation could determine whether Netanyahu retains power.