What next as Netanyahu's party claims Israel's election was stolen?
CBS News • • world
Key Points:
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party allege Israel's recent election was stolen by Arab-majority parties, accusing them of foreign-funded vote-buying, as final results show Netanyahu's bloc lost its parliamentary majority.
- Arab-majority parties achieved their highest turnout ever, winning 19 of 120 Knesset seats, contributing significantly to Netanyahu's bloc shrinking from 68 to 53 seats.
- The main opposition bloc won 48 seats and may seek support from Arab parties to form a coalition, though some Jewish-led opposition parties had previously vowed not to rely on Arab party support.
- Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, has launched an investigation into possible foreign influence, including allegations of Qatari funding to Arab parties, which Qatar denies.
- Centrist opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of using stolen election claims to delay or delegitimize results, warning of improper influence operations targeting the Israeli public.
