Netanyahu bloc leads Israel election but falls short of majority as Likud claims vote was ‘stolen’

Arab News · 30‏/10‏/2026، 1:33:27 ص

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing and far-right bloc emerged ahead of the opposition in the country's general election but fell well short of a parliamentary majority, according to final official results released early Friday, amid unsubstantiated claims by his Likud party that the vote had been "stolen." The Central Elections Committee said Netanyahu's coalition won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, with Likud remaining the largest single party with 27 seats. T