Israel:Netanyahu seeks probe into 'election theft' by Arab parties

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has alleged that Arab parties committed election fraud in Tuesday’s election and demanded investigations by the police, Shin Bet and Central Elections Committee. In a post on X on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s account said Likud would submit hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence alleging irregularities at Arab polling stations, including bribery, threats, violence, forged documents and multiple voting. These remain allegations made by Likud and have not been independently verified in the statement. The party called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those found responsible, describing the alleged acts as a threat to Israel’s democracy and the integrity of the election.
Meanwhile, the Central Elections Committee's partial results at 11:35 pm (local time), the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bloc has 53 seats, while the opposing Eisenkot-led bloc holds 48 seats. Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra’am have 19 seats. These figures are based on 90 per cent of votes counted across 97.5 per cent of ballot boxes. The latest figures also show that several political factions remain below the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold. These include the Reservists, with 2.6 per cent of the vote, the People of Israel, with 1.6 per cent, and the Charedi Public faction, with 0.2 per cent. 61 seats are needed for a parliamentary majority.