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Live: Israelis await final election results, with no majority in sight
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France 24
France 24
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France 24
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Israelis are still awaiting the final results of parliamentary elections that have produced no clear majority for either bloc, as disputes intensify over allegations of foreign funding for Arab parties. President Isaac Herzog called for a full investigation of the claims while cautioning against stigmatising the entire Arab community.
29/10/2026 - 12:00
Israel president says probe into Arab parties mustn't 'tarnish an entire community'
Israel's President Isaac Herzog said that allegations that Arab parties had received foreign funding must be "fully investigated" but warned against stigmatising the entire community which turned out in record numbers.
"The evidence and the allegations (of fraud) must be fully investigated, and those responsible must be arrested and held accountable according to the full extent of the law," Herzog said. "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."
29/10/2026 - 11:56
Democrats leader accuses Netanyahu of seeking to delegitimise election results, Arab voters
Democrats chairman Yair Golan said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying "to undermine the election results through an ugly campaign to delegitimise the public's will, and the Arab public in particular."
Golan's statement comes after Israel's Central Elections Committee called on the Shin Bet to investigate suspected foreign influence on the election through external funding.
"Netanyahu suffered a crushing democratic defeat. The public fired him, and he refuses to accept the voters' decision," Golan wrote in a post on X.
"Now he is trying to undermine the election results through an ugly delegitimisation campaign against the will of the public, and against the Arab public in particular," he said, adding that "any genuine suspicion of harm to the integrity of the election must be thoroughly investigated".
29/10/2026 - 11:42
Israel’s election committee urges probe into alleged Qatari interference
Israel’s Central Elections Committee has called on the Shin Bet chief to investigate allegations of foreign interference in the Knesset elections, including suspected funding and bribery linked to Qatar.
FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.
29/10/2026 - 10:53
🎥 Netanyahu still in it after election night surprises
In Israel, the surprises only started with election night. They're still counting ballots in a vote that featured the highest turnout in decades, historic inroads by Arab parties and Benjamin Netanyahu's worst result since 1999. And yet, Israel's longest-serving prime minister still has a path to stay in power.
As we await the definitive makeup of the next parliament, our panel breaks out the calculators and pie charts: in what scenario does Netanyahu survive? Is the issue with the right-wing Likud leader or his policies?
Click the link below to watch the full show ⬇️
29/10/2026 - 09:28
Far-right Israeli minister seeks arrest of Arab party leaders
Israel's far-right national security minister called for the arrest of Israeli Arab leaders whose parties made strong gains in this week's election, citing unproven accusations of foreign funding.
Israel's security agency Shin Bet "must order, already this morning, the arrests of the heads of Arab parties suspected of involvement in Qatari money", Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on X.
He was pointing to unproven claims made by several ministers that the parties, who could be kingmakers after neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the opposition bloc secured a majority, took money from Qatar, the energy-rich Gulf powerbroker that has channels to Hamas.
29/10/2026 - 09:06
What happens if no government emerges?
Israel’s president next week will task someone to form the next government. It has traditionally been the leader of the party with the most votes, but that’s not required.
If a new government cannot be formed after multiple attempts, Israel would face a new election early next year. On Wednesday, President Isaac Herzog signalled he wanted to avoid that step – something Eisenkot has said as well.
New elections bring new questions, including whether Arab citizens would again go to the polls in large numbers; and whether the tens of thousands of Israelis who flew home to vote would do it again. Many had said they took that step to save the country from Netanyahu.
Reporting by AP.
29/10/2026 - 04:35
Welcome to the FRANCE 24 liveblog covering parliamentary elections in Israel. You can catch up on yesterday's key developments here.
29/10/2026 - 06:57
📸 In pictures: Israelis protest in Tel Aviv
Israelis took to the streets on Wednesday evening demanding that Israel-Arab parties in Israel be included in the formation of the next government coalition, in Tel Aviv.
29/10/2026 - 04:37
Vote projections still show no majority with 90% of votes counted
With 90.4% of the ballots counted, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc remains at 53 seats and the opposition at 67, including 48 for the Gadi Eisenkot bloc and 19 for the Arab-majority parties.
The Central Electoral Commission said it began counting mail-in ballots at 1 am on Thursday.
Israel president says probe into Arab parties mustn't 'tarnish an entire community'
Israel's President Isaac Herzog said that allegations that Arab parties had received foreign funding must be "fully investigated" but warned against stigmatising the entire community which turned out in record numbers.
"The evidence and the allegations (of fraud) must be fully investigated, and those responsible must be arrested and held accountable according to the full extent of the law," Herzog said. "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."
29/10/2026 - 11:56
Democrats leader accuses Netanyahu of seeking to delegitimise election results, Arab voters
Democrats chairman Yair Golan said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying "to undermine the election results through an ugly campaign to delegitimise the public's will, and the Arab public in particular."
Golan's statement comes after Israel's Central Elections Committee called on the Shin Bet to investigate suspected foreign influence on the election through external funding.
"Netanyahu suffered a crushing democratic defeat. The public fired him, and he refuses to accept the voters' decision," Golan wrote in a post on X.
"Now he is trying to undermine the election results through an ugly delegitimisation campaign against the will of the public, and against the Arab public in particular," he said, adding that "any genuine suspicion of harm to the integrity of the election must be thoroughly investigated".
29/10/2026 - 11:42
Israel’s election committee urges probe into alleged Qatari interference
Israel’s Central Elections Committee has called on the Shin Bet chief to investigate allegations of foreign interference in the Knesset elections, including suspected funding and bribery linked to Qatar.
FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.
29/10/2026 - 10:53
🎥 Netanyahu still in it after election night surprises
In Israel, the surprises only started with election night. They're still counting ballots in a vote that featured the highest turnout in decades, historic inroads by Arab parties and Benjamin Netanyahu's worst result since 1999. And yet, Israel's longest-serving prime minister still has a path to stay in power.
As we await the definitive makeup of the next parliament, our panel breaks out the calculators and pie charts: in what scenario does Netanyahu survive? Is the issue with the right-wing Likud leader or his policies?
Click the link below to watch the full show ⬇️
29/10/2026 - 09:28
Far-right Israeli minister seeks arrest of Arab party leaders
Israel's far-right national security minister called for the arrest of Israeli Arab leaders whose parties made strong gains in this week's election, citing unproven accusations of foreign funding.
Israel's security agency Shin Bet "must order, already this morning, the arrests of the heads of Arab parties suspected of involvement in Qatari money", Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on X.
He was pointing to unproven claims made by several ministers that the parties, who could be kingmakers after neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the opposition bloc secured a majority, took money from Qatar, the energy-rich Gulf powerbroker that has channels to Hamas.
29/10/2026 - 09:06
What happens if no government emerges?
Israel’s president next week will task someone to form the next government. It has traditionally been the leader of the party with the most votes, but that’s not required.
If a new government cannot be formed after multiple attempts, Israel would face a new election early next year. On Wednesday, President Isaac Herzog signalled he wanted to avoid that step – something Eisenkot has said as well.
New elections bring new questions, including whether Arab citizens would again go to the polls in large numbers; and whether the tens of thousands of Israelis who flew home to vote would do it again. Many had said they took that step to save the country from Netanyahu.
Reporting by AP.
29/10/2026 - 04:35
Welcome to the FRANCE 24 liveblog covering parliamentary elections in Israel. You can catch up on yesterday's key developments here.
29/10/2026 - 06:57
📸 In pictures: Israelis protest in Tel Aviv
Israelis took to the streets on Wednesday evening demanding that Israel-Arab parties in Israel be included in the formation of the next government coalition, in Tel Aviv.
29/10/2026 - 04:37
Vote projections still show no majority with 90% of votes counted
With 90.4% of the ballots counted, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc remains at 53 seats and the opposition at 67, including 48 for the Gadi Eisenkot bloc and 19 for the Arab-majority parties.
The Central Electoral Commission said it began counting mail-in ballots at 1 am on Thursday.
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Tags:#إسرائيل#الانتخابات الإسرائيلية#بنيامين نتنياهو#الأحزاب العربية#إسحاق هرتسوغ#الكنيست
Source: France 24
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