In brief
Israel's elections commission declared the 2026 vote valid despite allegations of foreign interference, and Prime Minister Netanyahu accused Arab‑led parties of stealing the votes. The Likud party won 53 seats to the opposition’s 48, leaving the parliament deadlocked and raising questions about forming a coalition that may include Arab parties. Police have released two political activists linked to the Ra’am party who were detained for alleged voter bribery.
Israeli officials said the results of the country’s 2026 parliamentary election would stand, even if allegations of foreign interference were proved true, as the Central Elections Committee announced on Sunday.
Noam Sohlberg
Even if the suspicions are substantiated, this would not undermine the integrity of the electoral process or the election results as a whole.
Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu replied after the vote, claiming without evidence that Arab‑led parties had “stolen” the vote and had accepted financial support from Qatar. Qatar has rejected the allegations, describing them as a disinformation campaign.
Israeli police released two of three political activists detained before the polls opened. The men were allegedly carrying envelopes of cash intended to bribe voters. One was released on unspecified conditions, the other was ordered to remain on house arrest. Police said the suspects were linked to Ra’am, the Arab‑led party that won eight seats.
Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas denounced the arrests, calling them “undemocratic” and an “attempt to influence the election results.”
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of launching “an orchestrated and organised campaign to delegitimise the results.” Eisenkot has previously ruled out a coalition with Arab parties, but the deadlock could make such a partnership necessary to form a government.
The vote gave Likud 53 seats, the opposition bloc 48, and the three Arab‑led parties a record 19 seats in the 120‑seat Knesset. A coalition of the opposition with the Arab parties would create a majority of 67 seats, though many Israelis find the idea of working with Arab parties politically offensive.
The results will be officially certified later this week. In accordance with Israel’s constitution, President Isaac Herzog will then nominate a candidate to form a new government.
What remains unclear are the potential outcomes of any later investigations into alleged interference, whether a coalition that includes the Arab parties can be successfully negotiated, and how the public will react to both the allegations and the possible new government structure.
