Uncounted ballots and fraud allegations complicate Israel's coalition talks

Matthew Doran's Jerusalem report explains why Arab-Israeli parties could hold the balance, while soldiers' and diplomats' votes remain to be counted.

Channel: ABC News (Australia) ·

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Netanyahu camp accuses Arab-Israeli parties of stealing election | ABC NEWS

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0:16Doran says most votes are counted and Likud's early lead is narrowing.
0:35Seat projections leave both camps short of a majority, giving Arab-Israeli parties potential leverage.
2:08Likud alleges voter fraud involving Arab-Israeli parties and challenges results with electoral authorities.
2:57Soldiers' and diplomats' ballots must be counted before official results go to President Herzog.
3:27Herzog urges open-minded consultations; Doran explains the coalition deadline and possible extension.

Soldiers' and diplomats' ballots still need counting before Israel's president receives the official election results, Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran reports. Meanwhile, Likud is challenging results with electoral authorities and accusing Arab-Israeli parties of voter fraud.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia's public broadcaster, places those allegations alongside the parliamentary arithmetic in its report. With roughly 85 percent of votes counted, Doran says Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud has seen its early lead narrow. Neither the prime minister's allies nor the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party is projected to secure a majority.

The broadcast's graphic puts the pro-Netanyahu parties on 53 seats, the anti-Netanyahu parties on 48 and Arab-Israeli parties on 19. A majority in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, requires 61 seats. These are preliminary projections, not a final allocation.

That leaves Arab-Israeli parties potentially decisive for the opposition, Doran explains, despite past reluctance within the camp seeking a change of government to cooperate with them. Their projected strength and Likud's accusations are separate issues: the accusations remain allegations, not an established finding of electoral fraud.

Once the official results are ready, President Isaac Herzog will consult the parliamentary factions as part of the government-formation process. In footage with an English voiceover, he says: "I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind."

Doran explains that the politician tasked with assembling a coalition gets 28 days, with a possible two-week extension. Herzog's stated aim is to prevent another election, a prospect with a familiar precedent: Israel held five elections between 2019 and 2022.

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