By — Cara Anna, Associated Press Cara Anna, Associated Press By — Julia Frankel, Associated Press Julia Frankel, Associated Press By — Koral Saeed, Associated Press Koral Saeed, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/netanyahus-party-claims-israeli-election-stolen-as-results-show-him-losing-majority Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Netanyahu's party claims Israeli election 'stolen' as results show him losing majority World Oct 29, 2026 8:44 PM EDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party on Thursday amplified unsubstantiated allegations that Arab-led parties had "stolen" the election, potentially with foreign assistance, as final results showed his bloc had lost its majority in parliament. The opposition accused Netanyahu of demonizing the Arab population after a historic showing by Arab-led parties in an attempt to delegitimize the election. If the rest of the opposition teams up with Arab parties, a rare and politically risky move, they could potentially form a majority government in parliament, the Knesset. WATCH: Retired Israeli general on what the election results tell us Results released by election officials on Thursday showed Netanyahu's bloc winning 53 seats…
Netanyahu's party claims Israeli election 'stolen' as results show him losing majority
In short
The official tally gives the main opposition 48 seats alongside 19 seats won by Arab-led parties, mathematically opening the door for an alternative governing coalition. In response, Likud alleged that Arab-led parties engaged in malfeasance potentially aided by Qatar, a claim the Gulf state dismissed as ridiculous and dangerous. Opposition leaders, including former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, condemned the rhetoric as an effort to demonize Arab citizens after a defeat. Electoral authorities confirmed that the certification of results will proceed as scheduled next Wednesday.
Key points
- The loss of a parliamentary majority leaves Benjamin Netanyahu facing potential removal t…: The loss of a parliamentary majority leaves Benjamin Netanyahu facing potential removal through an opposition-led coalition.
- Election officials affirmed that allegations of systematic integrity violations remain ba…: Election officials affirmed that allegations of systematic integrity violations remain baseless and will not alter the final counts.
- Likud's unsubstantiated fraud claims targeting Arab voters and Qatar have drawn sharp cri…: Likud's unsubstantiated fraud claims targeting Arab voters and Qatar have drawn sharp criticism from domestic opposition leaders.