Eisenkot says Netanyahu's attempt to challenge the Israeli election results has failed

Eisenkot's statement

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Israeli Yashar party, said on Sunday that attempts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party to discredit the results of last week's parliamentary elections and push the country toward new elections have failed. In a post on the X platform, he called the attempt Anadolu reported this.

Allegations and reaction

Netanyahu and Likud claim that Qatar interfered in the elections by funding measures to boost turnout among Arab voters in order to influence the outcome. The party said it had recordings and other materials documenting bribery — cash and fuel vouchers in exchange for votes — calling what happened

The election commission's position

Earlier on Sunday, Solberg said the voting had been conducted properly and that the results reflect the will of the voters. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, he said claims that the available materials could cast doubt on the election results as a whole are

Results and next steps

After all votes were counted, Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot won 48, and the Arab parties won 19. Neither of the two main blocs reached the 61 seats needed for a governing majority. Turnout was 77.9% — the highest since 1999, according to the election commission. The country faces a political deadlock: forming a government depends on agreements between the blocs, and opposition parties differ on whether it is possible to rely on the support of the Arab parties. The official results are to be handed to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, after which consultations will begin with the parties represented in the Knesset on who should be tasked with forming a government.