Netanyahu's Likud claims Israeli election was stolen as final results leave his bloc short of a majority

Summary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has accused Arab-led parties of stealing the election through bribes and fraud, even as final results show his bloc well short of a majority. Final results showed his coalition of right-wing and far-right parties won 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, with Likud the largest faction at 27, while the opposition bloc led by centrist Gadi Eisenkot secured 48. Likud's claim rests on the arrest of three activists from the Arab Ra'am party, who were suspected of paying a small number of voters in one Arab city. Axios reports that Israeli police said there was no evidence to support Likud's claims. Arab voters turned out in historic numbers and won 19 seats between their two parties. Axios reports that the opposition fears Netanyahu wants to prevent the results from being certified, which would block the swearing-in of a new parliament in which he would lose his majority. Axios also reports that a letter from the judge who heads the Central Elections Committee, ordering the Shin Bet domestic security agency to investigate suspected foreign election interference, leaked to Israel's Channel 12, and that Israeli media then identified Qatar as the country in question, which allegedly funneled money to an Arab party to boost turnout. The South China Morning Post reports that the results set the stage for tough coalition talks or potentially another vote.

Timeline

1. Axios

   29 Oct 2026, 17:46 UTCSource ↗

   Axios reports that after Netanyahu's far-right coalition lost 11 seats, he is trying to discredit the results by claiming mass voting fraud in Arab communities, and that the opposition fears he wants to block the results from being certified.

2. South China Morning Post

   29 Oct 2026, 23:32 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that Netanyahu's camp finished ahead of the opposition but well short of a majority, with 53 of 120 seats, as his Likud party claimed the election was stolen.