From The Straits Times · · 1m 10s
Netanyahu escalates anti-Arab attacks after election
Netanyahu claims Arab parties cheated in election, faces backlash from Arab leaders.
In brief
Netanyahu claims Arab parties cheated in election, faces backlash from Arab leaders. Netanyahu accused Arab parties of voter fraud to block rival from power, but Arab leaders call his claims incitement. Originally reported by The Straits Times.
Netanyahu's election claim
Netanyahu alleged on Oct 29 without evidence that Arab parties' election gains were driven by voter fraud.
“Netanyahu alleged on Oct 29, without providing evidence, that Arab parties’ record gains in an election this week were driven in part by voter fraud”
Arab leaders reject fraud claims
Arab leaders accused Netanyahu of incitement, calling his claims an orchestrated campaign to undermine election results.
“This entire campaign is directed against Eisenkot, to prevent him, intimidate and scare him off forming a government that relies on external support from the Joint List or Ra’am”
Election results
Netanyahu's bloc held a modest lead with 53 seats, but Arab parties projected 19 seats leaving rivals without power without broad Arab backing.
“Parties representing israel’s twenty-one percent arab minority were projected to win an unprecedented nineteen seats”
Netanyahu's strategy
Netanyahu aims to delegitimise Arab-Jewish cooperation to prevent rival from forming minority government with Arab support.
“Netanyahu’s goal is "delegitimising any arab-jewish cooperation"”
Election probe underway
Election officials probe fraud allegations but state election integrity was not "systematically compromised".
“Israeli election officials said on oct twenty-ninth that there was a probe into fraud allegations, though the election’s integrity was not "systematically compromised"”
Arab parties respond
Ra’am head Mansour Abbas called Netanyahu's campaign incitement against Arab citizens, stating nothing would come of it.
“We have one message in response to the campaign of incitement and delegitimisation he is waging against arab citizens: nothing will come of it, because there is nothing there”
President Herzog's warning
President Herzog urged investigation but warned against tarnishing Arab community's right to vote in democracy.
“But even at a moment like this, we must not tarnish an entire community that sought to exercise its right to vote and take an active part in democracy”
The essence
Netanyahu accused Arab parties of voter fraud to block rival from power, but Arab leaders call his claims incitement.
