Netanyahu: Must Not Form Government with Arab Lists

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the formation of a government that does not rely on Arab lists, warning that doing so would endanger Israel, following the official announcement of the results of the 2026 Knesset legislative elections by the Central Elections Committee. Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu met with Itamar Ben-Gvir in an attempt to thwart the change camp led by Gadi Eisenkot from forming a coalition government. On Wednesday, Netanyahu’s Likud party accused Arab parties of “stealing” the Israeli elections and called on the police, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), and the Central Elections Committee to investigate allegations involving bribery, threats, violence, and fraud. In a statement, Likud affirmed that it had submitted hundreds of testimonies and evidence regarding alleged violations at polling stations in Arab localities. Likud claimed that the violations included the distribution of envelopes containing cash and ballots for the unified Arab list “Ra’am,” threats against polling station officials, multiple voters entering voting booths together, and voting using duplicate identities. According to the announced results, Netanyahu’s camp topped the Israeli general election results, but despite its lead over the opposition, it remained far from securing a majority in the Knesset, paving the way for difficult coalition negotiations or possibly new elections. Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes right-wing and far-right parties, won 53 out of 120 seats in the Knesset, while Likud, led by Netanyahu, remained the largest single party with 27 seats, according to Agence France-Presse. The opposition bloc led by centrist Gadi Eisenkot secured 48 seats. Results issued by the Central Elections Committee highlighted the emergence of Arab parties as potential kingmakers, as the unified Arab list “Ra’am” and the Joint List together won 19 seats, giving them the ability to tip the balance in government formation.