Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with his wife Sara.
\n\nIsrael's final election results were announced on Thursday, confirming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc has fallen short of a parliamentary majority, as the Israeli leader faces accusations of using smear tactics to cling to power after claiming that Arab parties used foreign backing to "steal" the election.
\n\nThe Central Elections Committee (CEC) said Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats in the next Knesset, while the opposition bloc seeking to replace him won 48. Both fell short of the 61 seats required for a majority without support from Arab parties, which secured a record combined total of 19 seats.
\n\nThe results have left Arab Israeli parties, including the Joint List and Ra'am, in a pivotal position as political leaders consider possible alliances to form a government.
\n\nThe announcement came amid a Shin Bet investigation into suspicions that foreign entities, potentially including Qatar and Turkey, funnelled money into Israel to influence voter turnout in Arab communities. CEC chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg directed Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate the suspected foreign funding and possible election interference.
\n\nNetanyahu and his allies had called for an investigation into alleged vote-buying and other irregularities in…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world
