Likud accused Ben-Gvir of mobilizing Arab voters in the Knesset election

Intra-party criticism after the election

Likud Central Committee member Shimon Boker said that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir inflicted serious damage on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc: according to him, the minister's repeated provocations prompted Arab voters to come to the polls and helped Arab parties win seats in parliament. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post, which is cited by the Anadolu agency.

Rahat and record turnout

According to the report, turnout in Rahat — Israel's largest Bedouin city — was nearly 80%. A Likud veteran who observed the voting and identified himself as Rami described widespread resentment toward Ben-Gvir and said it prompted residents to vote against Netanyahu's camp. Rahat's mayor, Talal al-Krenawi, welcomed the high turnout as a demonstration of the community's strength; residents cited house demolitions and Ben-Gvir's rhetoric among the reasons. An activist from Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party rejected the criticism, arguing that the minister cannot be blamed for Arab citizens exercising their right to vote.

Results without a majority

After the counting was completed, Netanyahu's bloc received 53 seats, the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot — 48, and the Arab parties a record 19: the Joint List won 11 seats and the United Arab List (Raam) — 8. Neither of the two main blocs reached the required 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The results are expected to be presented to President Isaac Herzog on November 4 after verification procedures, which means that the formation of the next government remains an open question.