• Likud alleges vote fraud, Qatar funding without proof; Arab leaders say Israeli PM is waging ‘campaign of incitement’
• Elections committee rejects claims of systematic election irregularities; Doha dismisses interference allegations as ‘ridiculous’

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc on Thursday piled pressure on Arab-Israeli leaders over unproven accusations of voter fraud and foreign funding from Qatar, in a push to neuter parties that could hold the key to forming a government after Tuesday’s inconclusive election.

With nearly 93pc of the votes counted in Israel’s first national ballot since Oct 7, 2023, neither Netanyahu nor the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot appears able to secure a 61-seat parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious bloc held 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s camp trailed with 48.

Driven by soaring turnout among Israel’s 21pc Arab minority, the two Arab-majority formations — the Joint List and Raam — were on track for an unprecedented 19 seats between them, making them potential kingmakers.

Analysts say that by stepping up attacks on Arab parties, Netanyahu is trying to delegitimise any Arab-Jewish cooperation and ensure Eisenkot feels unable to form a minority government with external Arab support.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the Central Elections Committee, requested an investigation by the Shin Bet security service into suspicions that foreign players tried to intervene in the election, including allegations that the Arab grouping Raam received money from Qatar.

Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party seized on the request, alleging an attack on Israel’s democracy and accusing Qatar of backing the intervention.

“The Raamgate scandal is a political earthquake. Israel’s elections have been stolen!” Likud said in a statement.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further on Thursday, calling on the Shin Bet to “immediately” order the arrests of Arab party leaders suspected of involvement with Qatari funds.

Raam chief Mansour Abbas welcomed an investigation, saying his party had “no connection whatsoever to the affair” and accusing the premier of waging a campaign of incitement.

“We have one message in response to the campaign of incitement and delegitimisation he is waging against Arab citizens: Nothing will come of it, because there is nothing there,” Abbas said.

Joint List leader Ahmad Tibi said Netanyahu was conducting an orchestrated, toxic campaign to undermine the election results.

“This entire campaign is directed against Eisenkot, to prevent him from forming a government that relies on external support from the Joint List or Raam,” Tibi told Reuters.

Fellow Joint List head Yousef Jabareen had indicated willingness to cooperate with the opposition from the outside to bring down Netanyahu without formally joining a coalition.

In Doha, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari categorically rejected the claims that his country interfered in the Israeli election.

Meanwhile, police said they have arrested at least seven people in southern Israel since Tuesday on suspicion of voter fraud, following Likud complaints of suspected bribery at ballot stati ons in Arab towns.

Separately, the Central Elections Committee stated there was “no base for claims that there was systematic harm to the election’s integrity,” with acting director general Dean Livne calling suggestions of widespread issues “entirely groundless”.

Eisenkot backed a probe into the allegations, which he called “profoundly serious”, but warned that Netanyahu was exploiting the suspicions to “spread chaos” and challenge official results.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who will consult with party chairs to tap a candidate to form a government once tallying finishes, also called for an investigation while urging restraint.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026