19 seats: Arab-led parties secure record bloc as Netanyahu disputes count

The Central Elections Committee in Israel affirmed on Sunday that the results of the recent general election remain valid. This decision came as Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu continued to challenge the final count.

Noam Sohlberg, head of the committee, stated that even if suspicions of foreign interference were proven, the integrity of the process would not be compromised. He made these remarks in a video released on Sunday, appearing alongside the head of the Shin Bet and the attorney general.

Netanyahu’s Likud party alleged that Arab-led parties accepted funding from Qatar to win votes. The prime minister’s camp did not provide evidence for these claims. Qatar rejected the accusations, describing them as a disinformation campaign.

In Tuesday’s election, the three Arab-led parties won a total of 19 seats, a record high for the bloc. Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats. Neither side holds the majority needed to form a government in the 120-seat parliament.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of launching an orchestrated campaign to delegitimize the results. Although Eisenkot has previously ruled out forming a coalition with Arab parties, a partnership with them would yield a majority of 67 seats.

Israeli police released two of three activists arrested before voting began on Sunday. The suspects, linked to the Ra’am party, were carrying envelopes of cash allegedly intended to bribe voters. One was released on unspecified conditions, and another was placed under house arrest.

The head of the Ra’am party, Mansour Abbas, called the arrests undemocratic. The final results are scheduled for official certification this week, after which President Isaac Herzog must nominate a candidate to form a new government.