With the final vote count, Netanyahu’s bloc was left without a majority, leading the Likud party to claim that the country’s parliamentary election had been “stolen” by Arab-led parties.
The charges, which were not supported by publicly available evidence, have ratcheted up political tensions in the wake of Tuesday’s vote, in which Netanyahu’s side won 53 of the 120 Knesset seats. The opposition has 48 seats, and Arab parties hold 19.
Israeli media also wrote that Likud members claimed that Qatar was meddling in the election. Qatar has already dismissed these accusations and called them “ridiculous and dangerous”.
The Central Elections Committee in Israel forwarded any suspicions to the Shin Bet security agency for investigation. Yet, it added that the investigation had not affected the outcome of the elections or targeted a specific group of people.
Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s chief political rival, condemned Likud for trying to delegitimise the results.
A government could be formed from the opposition in cooperation with the Arab parties; it would be strongly opposed on the political level.
A majority of 61 seats is required to form a government. The results are expected to be formally certified on November 4.
