Official results of Israeli elections... Netanyahu tops the list but without a majority
Netanyahu wins 53 seats without a majority, while the Arab opposition gains influence, and Herzog calls for an investigation into the allegations.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
The camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu topped the results of the Israeli general elections, according to final results released on Friday. However, despite his lead over the opposition, he remained far from securing a majority in the Knesset, paving the way for arduous negotiations to form a government or possibly holding new elections.
Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes right-wing and far-right parties, won 53 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, while Likud, led by him, remained the largest single party with 27 seats.
The results issued by the Central Elections Commission highlighted the emergence of Arab parties as potential kingmakers, as the United Arab List (Ra’am) and the Joint List secured 19 seats, giving them the power to tip the balance in government formation.
However, Netanyahu’s camp intensified pressure on Arab party leaders on Thursday, seeking to curb the significant gains they achieved in the elections through unsubstantiated allegations of receiving foreign funding.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called for an investigation into allegations of fraud but warned against stigmatizing the entire Arab community in Israel, following their unprecedented electoral participation.
Netanyahu’s camp’s allegations, which were rejected by one of the main Arab parties, could fuel uncertainty about the electoral process at a time when the region faces the threat of a return to war with Iran.
Gadi Eisenkot stated that an official investigation into these allegations should proceed without interference, but he accused Netanyahu of seeking to “delegitimize” the election results.
The general elections saw unprecedented high participation among Arab citizens in Israel, who view themselves as a minority treated with discriminatory practices.
Abbas, according to a statement issued by his office and received by Agence France-Presse, said, “The United Arab List has no connection to the aforementioned issue or any other issues, and we affirm that we will fully cooperate with all law enforcement authorities to uncover the truth.”
