Israel elections: police reject Netanyahu's Likud claim Arab parties 'stole' vote

Israel's police on Thursday, October 29, 2026 said they had found no supporting evidence for the claim by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party that Arab-led parties "stole" the October 27 Knesset election. Likud made the claim after the count gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, short of a majority, and Arab-led parties a record 19. The Central Elections Committee said it was reviewing complaints from all parties, but a committee source said the review would not delay the final results or the start of coalition talks.

An election result questioned by the governing party is a new and serious turn in Israel's political crisis. Until this week the debate was about arithmetic: which leader could put together 61 seats. Likud's claim moves it to the legitimacy of the vote itself. By saying the outcome was produced by fraud in Arab-majority areas, the party is signalling that it may refuse to accept a government that depends on Arab parties' support. That matters because the Arab-led parties, with their record 19 seats, are the only route by which the opposition can reach a majority.

The official bodies have so far not backed the claim. The police said they had seen nothing to support it, and the elections committee said the review would not hold up the final results. Herzog has asked leaders to avoid a second election and to come to the consultations "with an open mind". Under Israeli law the president is not bound to choose the leader of the largest party; he picks the member of the Knesset he judges most likely to form a government. Likud is the largest party, but reports suggest Eisenkot could collect more recommendations if Arab parties name him.

Israel's next government also matters well beyond its borders. The country is at the centre of a tense West Asia, with the Strait of Hormuz dispute, Houthi attacks on the Gulf and Iran's standoff with the United States all still unresolved. A long period of caretaker government, or another election, would make it harder for Israel to take big decisions on security, the war's aftermath and relations with Gulf neighbours.

For India, Israel is a major defence supplier and a partner in technology, water and farming projects, and India has a large stake in Gulf stability because millions of Indians work in the region and much of its oil passes through the Gulf.

Short-term: The claim adds tension to the days before Herzog's consultations. Complaints will be reviewed by the elections committee, but officials have said this will not change the timetable. Expect sharp exchanges between Likud and Arab party leaders and pressure on Herzog over whom he names.

Long-term: If no leader can form a government in the rounds the law allows, Israel goes back to the polls. A disputed result could also deepen distrust between Arab citizens and the state, and make any future government that relies on Arab parties harder to hold together.

Who is affected: Israeli voters, especially Arab citizens whose votes are being questioned; the parties now bargaining over a coalition; Gulf and Western governments waiting to see who will lead Israel; and Indian companies and workers with ties to Israel and the wider region.

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