Netanyahu’s party amplifies unproven claims that Arab-led parties have ‘stolen’ Israel’s election
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified unsubstantiated claims on Thursday that Arab-led parties stole the national election, potentially with foreign assistance. The allegations emerged as final vote results were expected to confirm that Netanyahu's ruling bloc lost its majority in parliament following a historic showing by Arab-majority parties. Opposition figures accused the prime minister of demonizing the Arab population in an effort to cling to power after failing to secure a majority. Meanwhile, hundreds of Israelis demonstrated in the streets urging the opposition to ally with Arab parties to oust Netanyahu.
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- ✓ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified unproven claims on Thursday that Arab-led parties stole the national election.
- ✓ Final election results were expected to confirm that Netanyahu's bloc lost its majority in parliament.
- ✓ Arab-majority parties made historic gains in Tuesday's election.
- ✓ Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday to demand that the opposition ally with Arab parties to oust Netanyahu.
What changed
Netanyahu and his party shifted to attacking the legitimacy of the election itself by alleging foreign-funded theft of the vote.
Live updates
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Netanyahu's party amplifying unproven claims of stolen election
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified unsubstantiated claims on Thursday that Arab-led parties stole the national election, potentially with foreign assistance. The allegations emerged as final vote results were expected to confirm that Netanyahu's ruling bloc lost its majority in parliament following a historic showing by Arab-majority parties. Opposition figures accused the prime minister of demonizing the Arab population in an effort to cling to power after failing to secure a majority. Meanwhile, hundreds of Israelis demonstrated in the streets urging the opposition to ally with Arab parties to oust Netanyahu.
Why it matters
Arab-majority parties made major gains in Tuesday's election, driven by voter anger over rhetoric from Netanyahu's hard-right government targeting the community. With Netanyahu falling short of a parliamentary majority, Arab parties have emerged as potential kingmakers. Opposition chief Gadi Eisenkot has not yet decided whether to seek a coalition with them in what would be a rare and politically risky move to form the next government.
What is confirmed
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified unproven claims on Thursday that Arab-led parties stole the national election.
- Final election results were expected to confirm that Netanyahu's bloc lost its majority in parliament.
- Arab-majority parties made historic gains in Tuesday's election.
- Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday to demand that the opposition ally with Arab parties to oust Netanyahu.
Still unconfirmed
- The election was stolen by Arab-led parties with foreign assistance and foreign funding.
What to watch next
- The release of final election results
- Decisions by opposition chief Gadi Eisenkot on whether to seek a coalition with Arab parties
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (14)
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- NDTV — Arab Parties Emerge Kingmakers In Israel As Netanyahu Falls Short
- Axios — After losing his majority, Netanyahu tries to delegitimize election results
- www.al-monitor.com — Israeli protesters demand opposition ally with Arab parties to oust Netanyahu
- www2.ljworld.com — Netanyahu’s party amplifies unproven claims that Arab-led ...
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