Netanyahu claims the elections were stolen

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party on Wednesday said that voter fraud perpetrated by Arab citizens prevented him from winning a clear victory in the country’s election, Politico writes.

In a statement from Likud reposted on social media by Netanyahu, the right-wing party railed against early results from Tuesday night’s elections, claiming “evidence of election theft in many Arab polling stations” and urging law enforcement agencies to “act harshly and swiftly.” Those accusations have not been verified, nor did Likud provide any evidence to support its claims. According to local media, Israeli police have said there is no evidence to suggest Arab parties meddled in the election.

Results of Tuesday night’s election are not yet clear. With neither Netanyahu’s alliance nor challenger Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition coming close to the requisite 61-seat majority, a coalition government of some form is a real possibility. That all but guarantees a weekslong process of negotiations to shape a new Israeli government.

Record-high turnout from Arab voters in Israel reflected the degree of anger and frustration over Netanyahu’s policies toward the Palestinian population. Arab parties surpassed expectations, according to Israeli news, nearly doubling their total seats from 10 to 19 and handing them potential leverage over the future of the government.