Israeli election: Right-wing figures dispute Arab voter influence

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that Jewish settlements will be established in Gaza during a speech at his party headquarters in Jerusalem early Wednesday. The statement came as Israeli election officials counted votes from Tuesday's general election, a process that left neither major political camp with a clear majority.

Smotrich addressed supporters of his far-right Religious Zionism party, dismissing celebrations by opposition figures. He stated that his political opponents would not reverse the government's settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, an area where such settlements are considered illegal under international law. Israel previously dismantled its settlements in Gaza in 2005.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the right-wing Likud party, made similar appeals to voters on election day. He warned that Arab voters were rushing to polling stations and suggested that an opposition victory would threaten Israel's Jewish character. Netanyahu also accused three senior figures from the Arab-majority Ra’am party of attempting to steal the election.

Police confirmed the arrest of three individuals on suspicion of voter bribery. However, officials noted there was no indication that the arrested individuals held senior positions within Ra’am. Transportation Minister Miri Regev, also of the Likud party, posted on X that opponents were trying to steal the elections and the country, stating the choice was between the right or Palestine.

Dov Waxman, a British-American political scientist, told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu's post-election strategy will likely focus on convincing the public that a governing coalition including Arab parties is illegitimate. Arab political leaders condemned the Prime Minister's election-day messages as racist and inflammatory.

With approximately 55 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu's bloc of right-wing and religious parties was projected to win 56 seats. This total falls short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel's 120-seat parliament. Mansour Abbas, the leader of Ra’am, said he had received approaches from both Netanyahu's Likud and the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot, the head of the Yashar party.

Earlier on Tuesday, Smotrich warned on Facebook that voter turnout was unusually high in Arab communities and left-wing strongholds. He did not provide supporting figures for this claim and asserted that failing to mobilize right-wing voters could allow supporters of terror to enter the government.