Netanyahu piles pressure on Arab parties after poll deadlock

TEL AVIV: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc on Thursday piled pressure on Israeli Arab leaders over unproven accusations of foreign funding, in a push to neuter parties that could hold the key to forming a government after an inconclusive election.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called for an investigation into allegations of fraud but cautioned against stigmatising the entire Arab Israeli community, who voted at unprecedented rates.
Israel was nearing the completion of ballot-counting from Tuesday’s election, in which neither Netanyahu nor the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot looked able to secure a majority. With nearly 93 per cent of the vote counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was at 53 seats and the opposition forces led by Eisenkot at 48 — both well under the 61 needed to form a government. The two main Arab formations were on track for an unprecedented 19 seats between them.
Qatar rejected the accusations. “We categorically deny allegations that Qatar has interfered in Israeli elections or funded any activities intended to influence their outcome,” said foreign ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari. “These accusations are ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure.”
Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, a conservative who heads the Central Election Commission, requested an investigation by the Shin Bet security service into allegations that the Raam party received money from Qatar. “The Raamgate scandal is a political earthquake. Israel’s elections have been stolen!” Netanyahu’s Likud party said.
Government officials did not offer evidence to back the allegations. Raam leader Mansour Abbas said he welcomed an investigation into claims of wrongdoing, adding that his moderate Islamist party had “no connection” with the accusations.
The Arab parties together have enough votes to take the opposition bloc over the finish line, but Eisenkot has baulked after relentless attacks by Netanyahu, who warned his right-wing Jewish base that voting for the opposition would put Arabs in power.
Left-wing candidate Yair Golan accused Netanyahu of attempting to stir controversy after failing to get a majority. “Now he is trying to challenge the election results through an ugly delegitimisation campaign against the will of the people, and against the Arab public in particular,” he said.
Eisenkot said he was receiving updates and promised “utmost vigilance” against election interference. “On the other hand, we cannot allow political actors to exploit the situation and influence the timing of the inauguration of the 26th Knesset,” he said.
Israel’s election saw soaring participation by Israeli Arabs, descendants of Palestinians who stayed after the country’s creation in 1948.
President Herzog will decide after the publication of the official results which person to task with a first chance of forming a government.
Police said they arrested three suspects over claims that Arab parties were caught with envelopes of cash, but the election commission called it an isolated local case, and police said they would investigate every complaint about election integrity. — AFP