Netanyahu's Likud Alleges Election Fraud By Arab Parties, Demands Probe As Israel Counts Votes

Jerusalem [Israel], October 28: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has alleged that the general election, whose vote counting is currently underway, was stolen, issuing a sweeping statement accusing Arab political parties of widespread voter fraud, bribery, and violence across Arab polling stations and calling for an investigation.

In a statement shared by Netanyahu on X, Likud claimed that systemic criminal activities severely compromised the integrity of the election results.

"The elections in the State of Israel were stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and the elimination of the Jewish state through serious criminal offences of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries, and the use of prohibited software to mobilise voters," the post read.

Likud Claims Evidence Of Election Fraud

The ruling party asserted that it is handing over collected evidence to security and electoral authorities to substantiate its claims.

"The Likud party is transferring to the police, the Shin Bet, and the Central Elections Committee hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence regarding election theft in many Arab polling stations—thousands of envelopes with cash and Ra'am slips, threats and violence against polling station members, multiple voting behind the curtain, voting with double identities, discrepancies between the number of envelopes and the number of voters, the use of prohibited mobilisation software, and more," the party claimed.

Likud Demands Criminal Investigation

Following the allegations, Likud called on security agencies to immediately launch formal criminal inquiries.

"We demand from the police and the Shin Bet a thorough investigation into the election theft by the Arab parties and the full prosecution of the criminals," Likud demanded.

The party further urged electoral oversight bodies to intervene before results are formally finalised.

"We demand from the Central Elections Committee an immediate response to investigate these criminal offences that have severely damaged the integrity of the elections in Israel and the election results," the statement continued.

Warning of broader risks to the country's democratic process, Likud urged law enforcement to take harsh measures against alleged perpetrators.

"This is a serious blow to Israeli democracy and the voting rights of Israeli citizens," Likud concluded. "The law enforcement agencies must act with an iron fist and in an immediate manner."

Joint List Signals Opposition To Netanyahu

On the other hand, Yousef Jabareen, chairman of Israel’s Arab-majority Joint List alliance, issued a sharp response following the conclusion of voting in the Israeli general election, declaring his party's readiness to clear the path for removing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power.

In a public statement posted on X, Jabareen framed the election outcome as a critical juncture for Israeli democracy, strongly condemning the policies of the governing coalition while presenting a joint Arab-Jewish alliance as the country's true path forward.

"We are ready and prepared to pave the way for the ousting of the Netanyahu government," Jabareen stated. "Against a government of bloodshed, against a politics of supremacy, racism, and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative."

Rejecting the nationalist direction of the incumbent government, Jabareen emphasised that genuine political reform must be anchored in shared governance and equality across both communities.

"The change comes through Jewish-Arab partnership, a true and equal partnership," Jabareen declared. "No less than that, and no more than that."

Netanyahu Rejects Arab-Backed Coalition

Jabareen's remarks follow post-election speeches by Netanyahu, who forcefully rejected any potential governing coalitions dependent on Arab-led parliamentary factions, labelling such partnerships an "anti-Zionist" threat to the state.

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Netanyahu declared his party’s supremacy in the Israeli parliament, launching directly into a celebratory speech that wove military achievements, harsh attacks on political rivals, and an urgent appeal to form a nationalist government, addressing the Likud election headquarters as initial vote tallies began rolling in.

He expanded his claim of victory beyond Likud alone, arguing that overall polling totals showed a firm conservative mandate across the broader electorate.

"And the second thing that became clear—and with this too, they engineered consciousness; it won't help them—the second thing that became clear is that the right-wing bloc has a clear, decisive majority among the Zionist public, among the Jewish public, and all those who support the Jewish state," Netanyahu said. "That is what became clear. A decisive majority."

Netanyahu Calls For Right-Wing Government

Based on those conclusions, Netanyahu issued a direct call for nationalist parties to immediately rally behind a joint coalition, while condemning opposition leaders for seeking political support from Arab-led parliamentary factions.

"And therefore I said, and I say again, that we must establish a strong, right-wing national government," Netanyahu declared. "It is forbidden—simply forbidden—to endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties. Parties that oppose our very existence, that view Hamas as a charity organisation, and that call our soldiers war criminals."

In response to crowd chants of "Shame!", Netanyahu took direct aim at rival political arrangements and centre-left politicians negotiating potential legislative agreements.

"Indeed, that is a shame," Netanyahu remarked. "And I ask: What have we come to? What have we come to when politicians and media outlets talk about this, normalise it, justify it? How can you speak of an 'alliance of those who serve' when you join hands with those who attack our servers—IDF soldiers? Those who not only do not serve the state, but serve the enemies of the state. That is precisely what we have here. This is the Islamic Movement, this is the Joint List, this is Balad—these are anti-Zionist parties that advocate the destruction of the state. You speak of an alliance of those who serve with them? That is a disgrace and a scandal!"

Calling on the nation's majority to consolidate power, Netanyahu insisted that forming a right-wing government is the only way forward.

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Exit Polls Show Tight Knesset Race

His remarks come as the race for the Knesset has tightened dramatically as polling figures continue to shift across the board.

Pollster Direct Polls projected 55 seats for the Netanyahu bloc, 49 for the Gadi Eisenkot-led opposition bloc and 16 for the Arab parties.

In its updated exit poll, Kan 11, an Israeli state-owned, free-to-air television channel, projects that the pro-Netanyahu bloc and the anti-Netanyahu bloc each hold 51 seats, compared with 50 and 52 seats, respectively, in its previous poll at 11:04 pm (local time), as reported by The Times of Israel.

Another poll from agency Filber and presented by Channel 14 projected 60 seats for the Netanyahu bloc, 43 for the opposition and 17 for the Arab parties.

The latest seat adjustments show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party moving to 27 seats from 25, the left-wing alliance The Democrats shifting to nine seats from 10, and the far-right Otzma Yehudit party moving to six seats from seven.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)