Israeli right makes provocative statements as election votes are counted

What the report says

Senior Israeli right-wing politicians made sharp anti-Arab and election-fraud accusations as ballots were being counted in Israel’s 2026 election, according to Al Jazeera. The comments came after exit polls suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc had fallen short of a governing majority, leaving coalition talks uncertain. With no camp clearly on track to reach the 61 seats needed in the 120-seat Knesset, Arab-led parties could become important in forming the next government.

Al Jazeera reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking at his Religious Zionism party’s headquarters in Jerusalem, defended settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and said Jewish settlements would be established in Gaza. Netanyahu, speaking during the vote, warned that Arab turnout was rising and claimed an opposition win would endanger Israel’s Jewish identity. He also accused figures from the Arab-majority Ra’am party of trying to steal the election, while Transportation Minister Miri Regev amplified similar claims online. Police said they had arrested three people on suspicion of voter bribery, but the report said there was no evidence they were senior Ra’am officials.

Arab political leaders denounced the remarks as racist and inflammatory. Political scientist Dov Waxman told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu would likely seek to portray any coalition including Arab parties as illegitimate. Al Jazeera also reported that, with about 55 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc was projected to win 56 seats.