Netanyahu bloc trails in Israel count as right wing voices settlement claims

Israeli right-wing leaders issued sharp warnings regarding Arab voters and future settlements in Gaza on Wednesday, following an election that left no single camp with a governing majority.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed supporters of the Religious Zionism party in Jerusalem, asserting that the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank would continue. He stated that opposing parties would not reverse the government's settlement policies and declared that Jewish settlements would be established in Gaza, a territory where Israel dismantled its settlements in 2005.

The comments followed Smotrich's earlier social media post claiming unusually high turnout in Arab communities and left-wing areas without providing specific figures. He argued that a lack of mobilization among right-wing voters could allow supporters of terror to enter the government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made similar appeals during the voting process, warning that Arab voters were rushing to polling stations and that an opposition victory would threaten the Jewish character of the state. He accused three senior figures from the Ra'am party of attempting to steal the election, although police confirmed arrests for voter bribery without indicating that the detained individuals held senior positions in Ra'am.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev of the Likud party echoed these allegations, stating on X that opponents were trying to steal the elections and the country. She framed the outcome as a choice between the right and Palestine. Political scientist Dov Waxman noted that Netanyahu is likely to emphasize the illegitimacy of a coalition including Arab parties to the public.

Arab political leaders condemned the prime minister's messages as racist and inflammatory. Correspondent Nida Ibrahim reported from Ramallah that, with approximately 55 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc was projected to win 56 seats in the 120-seat parliament. This falls short of the 61 seats required for a majority.

Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra'am party, said he had been contacted by both Netanyahu's Likud party and the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot, the head of the Yashar party.