WorldPosted at: Oct 30 2026 5:08PM


Gadi Eisenkot and Arab parties slam Netanyahu over allegations of foreign interference in elections

Jerusalem, Oct 30 (UNI) Israel's main opposition leader, Gadi Eisenkot, and leaders of Arab political parties have criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of foreign interference in the election, after his coalition failed to secure a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu's Likud party accused Arab-led parties of "stealing" the election, while the Shin Bet security agency is investigating suspicions of illegal funding from Qatar and Turkey. Qatar has rejected the allegations, describing them as "ridiculous and dangerous" and accusing Israeli politicians of conducting a disinformation campaign against Doha.
Final results showed that neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the wider Jewish opposition secured a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The two Arab-led lists, the Joint List and Ra'am, defied expectations to win a record 19 seats after a surge in turnout among Arab voters. Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot's secured 48, leaving the Arab parties in a potentially decisive position.
The controversy intensified on Thursday after Likud alleged that voters had been bribed to support Arab parties. The allegations followed a request by Central Elections Committee (CEC) chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg for the Shin Bet to investigate "serious suspicions" of foreign interference.
Both Arab parties rejected the claims, with the Joint List describing them as baseless. The dispute has been viewed by Netanyahu's critics as an attempt to undermine the Arab parties' legitimacy and make it politically harder for Eisenkot to secure their support — currently the only apparent route for his bloc to form a government.
Israeli media reported that the CEC had received allegations that Qatar provided funding to increase turnout in Arab communities. Doha's foreign ministry categorically denied the claims.
Netanyahu and Likud described the allegations as a "political earthquake" and "an attack on democracy" aimed at removing their right-wing government. The Shin Bet subsequently clarified that its investigation did not implicate an entire community that had voted legally. Acting CEC director general Dean Livne also said there was "no basis for allegations of systematic violations of election integrity".
Eisenkot, who was briefed on the investigation, said it was too early to establish what had happened, or whether any wrongdoing had taken place. He accused Netanyahu of running "an orchestrated and organized campaign to delegitimize the election results".
Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, who is part of the Joint List, dismissed the allegations as "a racist blood libel" by the losing side, accusing it of calling on security agencies to use force to overturn the election result.
Netanyahu's criticism of Arab voters had begun before the results were announced. On election day, he repeatedly posted on social media that high turnout among Arab voters was an "emergency" and a "matter of life or death" for the Israeli right. He also shared AI-generated images of Arab voters at polling stations in an effort to encourage right-wing supporters to vote.
Arab Israelis, many of whom identify as Palestinian citizens of Israel, make up about one fifth of the country's population, with the voter turnout among the community rising to a record high on Tuesday, driven in part by opposition to Netanyahu's coalition, widely regarded as the most right-wing government in Israel's history.
Many Arab citizens had previously boycotted elections, arguing that participation would legitimise a system they believe treats them as second-class citizens.
The election result leaves three main possibilities for forming a government, which includes a national unity administration involving Netanyahu and Eisenkot, a right-wing coalition formed by Netanyahu with defectors from Eisenkot's bloc, or an Eisenkot-led government backed by Arab parties.
Eisenkot and all but one member of his bloc had previously ruled out joining a government with Arab parties. However, speculation has grown in recent days that an arrangement could still be reached.
A snap poll conducted by Hebrew University found that the most popular option among voters from every party in the opposition bloc was an Eisenkot-led minority government supported by Ra'am from within the coalition and by the Joint List from outside it.
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