Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party alleged election interference and fraud in Israel

More context

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party alleged election interference and fraud after preliminary results left his bloc short of a parliamentary majority. In a post on X quoting the party, Netanyahu said the election was “stolen” by Arab parties, accusing them of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries and using prohibited software to mobilize voters. Qatar denied interfering in the election or funding efforts to influence its outcome, calling the accusations “ridiculous and dangerous,” Euronews reported.

With about 90% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot and 19 for Arab-led parties. A majority requires 61 seats. Türkiye Today reported that Israel had begun counting more than 500,000 special ballots, which could affect the final seat distribution.