Netanyahu's Coalition Leads Israeli Election but Falls Short of a Majority
Final results of Israel's parliamentary election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition winning 53 seats, short of a majority. Difficult government talks are expected, and a repeat election is possible.
In Israel's parliamentary election, the coalition of right-wing and far-right parties led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finished ahead of the opposition bloc but has not secured a majority. This is according to the final results published on Friday. The outcome means difficult negotiations lie ahead over forming a new government.
Seat distribution
Netanyahu's coalition won 53 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. His party, Likud, with 27 seats, will remain the largest faction. The opposition bloc, led by centrist Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats. The Arab political forces, the Raam party and the United List alliance, together took 19 seats.
Forming a government requires at least 61 seats, and neither bloc reached that figure. Talks could last several weeks, and if they fail, new elections may have to be held.
Allegations of foreign funding
On Thursday, Netanyahu's camp continued to claim that Arab organisations had received foreign funding to influence the vote. The allegations rest on claims that Raam received money from Qatar. Government officials have so far presented no evidence.
Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, said it is investigating possible violations, but stressed that the aim is not to "slander or blame an entire section of society that voted in a democratic and lawful manner". Dean Livne, acting director general of the Central Elections Committee, said any speculation about large-scale violations was completely unfounded.
Raam leader Mansour Abbas denied any wrongdoing and backed an investigation. The United List accused Netanyahu and his allies of an intimidation campaign, saying they fear the growing political influence of Arab voters. Opposition representatives say Netanyahu is trying to undermine trust in the results after failing to secure a majority. "He is trying to challenge the election results," said left-wing candidate Yair Golan. Qatar called the latest accusations "ridiculous and dangerous".
