Netanyahu puts election result under further pressure
The Israeli prime minister accuses Arab parties of election fraud without evidence, while no bloc currently has a majority.
Follow-up to: Trump backs Netanyahu ahead of Israeli election Sunday, 18 October 2026, 20:41
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Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have once again challenged the result of Israel’s election. The accusations come after Arab-Israeli parties appear set to win a historically high number of seats, with no bloc holding a majority.
This week’s election has produced no clear winner. According to preliminary counts, Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious bloc remains the largest grouping, but it is still short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the Knesset.
Arab-Israeli parties are expected to win around 19 seats, an unprecedentedly strong result. That could make them decisive in a possible government led by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, although such cooperation has provoked major political objections.
Netanyahu said on Thursday that Arab parties may have ‘stolen’ the election. He provided no evidence for this. The Arab parties rejected the accusation and accused the prime minister of demonising the Arab population.
Israel’s electoral commission has asked the Shin Bet to investigate possible foreign interference. According to the commission, there is no indication that the integrity of the election has been systematically compromised. The request for an investigation is not in itself evidence for Netanyahu’s accusations.
The result is not yet final. Once all votes have been counted, President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders and appoint the candidate considered most likely to form a government. That process could take weeks if the parties cannot find a workable coalition.
For Israel, the result may signal a shift in power, but not automatically a new government. For the region, the key question is whether a government dependent on Arab support would take a different approach towards the Palestinians and the war in Gaza. There is not yet any certainty on that.
Also show the region and a close-up
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The election result is not yet final.
- No bloc currently has a majority.
- Arab-Israeli parties appear to have achieved a historically strong result.
- Netanyahu has made fraud claims without publicly available evidence.
- The electoral commission has ordered an investigation into possible foreign interference.
Left
Arguments Arab citizens have exercised their right to vote and must not be collectively treated with suspicion because their parties have become more influential.
Values Minority rights, equal political representation and protection from discrimination.
Consequences The legitimacy of the result and possible Arab-Jewish cooperation must be protected, even if that leads to a politically unusual government.
Centre
Arguments Any concrete indication of foreign interference should be investigated independently, but political leaders must not pre-emptively delegitimise the official result.
Values Institutional reliability, the rule of law and governability.
Consequences A transparent investigation can preserve trust; coalition talks may take a long time.
Right
Arguments Israel’s security and Jewish character must not depend on parties that, in this view, hold fundamentally different positions on those matters.
Values National sovereignty, security and political continuity.
Consequences Cooperation with Arab parties may be ruled out, but that increases the likelihood of a minority government or fresh elections.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text draws on AP and Reuters reporting from 29 October and makes clear which claims are unsubstantiated. The provisional seat counts and coalition options are presented as preliminary information.
- confirmed No bloc currently has 61 seats. — Reuters reports that both Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition remain below the majority threshold. source
- confirmed Arab-Israeli parties are projected to win around 19 seats. — This figure appears in Reuters’ reporting on the preliminary count. source
- confirmed Netanyahu accused Arab parties of election fraud without evidence. — AP and Reuters describe the accusation as unsubstantiated. source
- confirmed The electoral commission found no systematic compromise of electoral integrity. — Reuters cites the central electoral commission’s letter. source
Editor's note
The result is still provisional. The fraud claims have been attributed to Netanyahu and his party and are not presented as fact; election officials say no systematic compromise has been identified.Sources
- Netanyahu's party amplifies unproven claims that Arab-led parties have 'stolen' Israel's election — Associated Press
- Netanyahu, at risk of losing power, steps up attacks on Israel’s Arab parties — Reuters
- Israelis await final election results as claim of foreign interference emerges — Associated Press
The story so far
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 20:41 Trump backs Netanyahu ahead of Israeli election
- Thursday, 29 October 2026, 19:56 Netanyahu puts election result under further pressure (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „israël verkiezingen”
- Het Parool — „israël verkiezingen”
- Trouw — „israël verkiezingen”