Israel rightists claim Arab voters stealing election as counts lag

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared on Wednesday that Jewish settlements would be established in Gaza. He made the statement at his party's headquarters in Jerusalem after exit polls indicated a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing alliance. Smotrich dismissed celebrations by opposition parties and vowed to maintain the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The comments followed a day of heightened tension during the national election. On Tuesday, Smotrich posted on Facebook that voter turnout was unusually high in Arab communities and left-wing areas. He did not provide specific numbers to support the claim. He warned that failing to mobilize right-wing voters could allow supporters of terror to enter the government.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, who leads the Likud party, made similar appeals while voting. He stated that Arab voters were rushing to polling stations. He argued that an opposition victory would threaten Israel's Jewish character. Netanyahu also accused three senior figures from the Arab-majority party Ra'am of attempting to steal the election.

Police confirmed they arrested three people on suspicion of voter bribery. There was no indication that these individuals held senior positions in Ra'am. Transportation Minister Miri Regev of Likud amplified the theft allegations in a post on X. She wrote, "They're trying to steal the elections and the country from us. It's either the right or Palestine."

British-American political scientist Dov Waxman noted that Netanyahu's strategy following the inconclusive result will likely involve convincing the public that a coalition including Arab parties is illegitimate. Arab political leaders condemned the election-day messages from the prime minister as racist and inflammatory.

Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim reported from Ramallah that Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 56 seats with about 55 percent of ballots counted. This total is short of the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Mansour Abbas, the leader of Ra'am, said he had received approaches from both Netanyahu's Likud and the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot.