Likud Bloc Falls to 53 Seats as Netanyahu Claims Election Stolen

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his parliamentary majority in Tuesday's general election, with final results released early Friday showing his bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset. This count is well below the 68 seats the coalition controlled at its peak in the previous legislature. The opposition secured 48 seats, while Arab-led parties captured the remaining 19.

Despite the final tally, Netanyahu's Likud party intensified claims that the vote was compromised. The party issued a statement declaring that the elections had been stolen, alleging without evidence that foreign interference aimed to facilitate a takeover of the Knesset. Likud suggested the interference was designed to topple the right-wing government and advance the Islamization of Israel. Israeli media reported that party members specifically pointed to Qatar, a nation many Israelis view as a patron of Hamas.

Qatar quickly rejected the claims, describing them as ridiculous and dangerous. The head of the election committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, told the Shin Bet security agency that serious suspicions of foreign interference had been raised. In a letter, Sohlberg noted he could not verify the claims but requested an investigation due to their seriousness. The commission stated the probe was based on classified intelligence and warned that reports about the investigation were entirely unfounded.

Dean Livne, the acting director general of the commission, said the final results would be submitted to President Isaac Herzog next Wednesday. He emphasized that the probe does not affect the outcome or concern any specific sector of the population. The commission also wrote to a concerned member of parliament, stating that allegations of systematic violations of electoral integrity were baseless. The Shin Bet is expected to provide findings within one week.

Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the main opposition, accused Likud of delegitimization. He stated that the accusations were a reaction to the party's loss and ridiculed the focus on Qatar. Eisenkot has signaled openness to forming a coalition with Arab-led parties if conditions are met. Ahmad Tibi of the Joint List confirmed that the opposition bloc reached out to discuss replacing the Knesset speaker, with the Joint List supporting the bloc's candidate.

Arab citizens, who make up 20% of the population, turned out in historic numbers for the vote. Mansour Abbas, head of the Ra'am party, welcomed the interference investigation but accused Netanyahu of incitement. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, said Netanyahu was attempting to undermine the results against the will of the public. President Herzog called the moment sensitive and urged a full investigation to ensure no community was tarnished for exercising its right to vote.

Netanyahu remains in charge while parties seek to form a 61-seat majority. If he loses office, he faces yearslong corruption allegations and an inquiry into security failures from the 2023 Hamas attack. Small rallies held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem supported a coalition that includes Arab-led parties. If no government is formed, Israel would face new elections early next year.