Netanyahu Bloc Falls Short of Majority as Fraud Claims Spread

Jerusalem (GNP): Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing alliance have failed to win the parliamentary majority needed to form Israel’s next government, according to results reported by Israeli media.

His alliance secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, well short of the 61 required. Opposition parties together won 67 seats, yet no bloc has emerged with a clear path to a stable government. The result is a sharp drop from the 2022 election, when his coalition won 64 seats.

The unsettled numbers have been overshadowed by a row over unproven claims of foreign funding. On Thursday, Likud and Netanyahu’s allies alleged that the Arab party Raam had received money from Qatar to finance vote buying. They branded the episode “Raamgate” and claimed the election had been stolen.

Raam leader Mansour Abbas denied wrongdoing and welcomed an investigation. Qatar rejected the allegation, calling it “ridiculous and dangerous”. The Joint List, another Arab party grouping, accused Netanyahu and his allies of a campaign of incitement driven by concern over the growing political weight of Arab voters.

Officials have so far offered no evidence to support the claims. Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, said it is examining suspected irregularities but stressed that its inquiry is not meant to cast doubt on a whole community that voted lawfully. The electoral commission also dismissed fears of widespread problems, with acting director general Dean Livne calling such claims “entirely groundless”.

Police have arrested three suspects, though the commission described the case as an isolated local incident. During the campaign, Netanyahu had alleged that Arab parties were caught with envelopes of cash, and Likud kept promoting claims of electoral fraud on Thursday.

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The Qatar link has a history. Last year, two of Netanyahu’s aides were arrested over allegations that they had received payments from the Gulf state. Opposition figures now say the fresh accusations are an attempt to erode public confidence in the result after he missed a governing majority.

Eisenkot said Shin Bet and the electoral commission had briefed him and that it was too early to say whether any irregularities occurred. He nonetheless accused Likud and Netanyahu of running a coordinated campaign to delegitimise the outcome.

The coming negotiations may turn on the Arab parties, who could hold the balance of power. Joint List head Yousef Jabareen said he is willing to work with the opposition to remove Netanyahu but would not join an opposition-led government.

Left-wing candidate Yair Golan said, “He is trying to challenge the election results.”