Ben-Gvir calls for arrest of Arab political leaders
Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has claimed that Arab political parties had foreign funding and called for the arrest of their leaders.
In a post on X, he said the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, “must order, as early as this morning, the arrest of the leaders of the Arab parties suspected of involvement with Qatari funds”.
These allegations are unsubstantiated, and he also did not clarify further.
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 12:00
Israeli police dismiss Netanyahu’s claim election was ‘stolen’
Israeli police have dismissed claims by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Arab bloc “stole” the election.
The Times of Israel quoted a police source as saying: “Election day passed with very few irregular incidents concerning the integrity of the election, even when compared to previous elections.
“It should be emphasised that there is no investigative- or intelligence-based supporting evidence for the claims.”
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 11:00
Trump says ‘he’ll take a look’ when asked about Israel coalition formation
Donald Trump reportedly suggested that he will “take a look” at getting involved in efforts to form a coalition government in Israel led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
In comments also carried by The Times of Israel, when Trump was asked about getting involved in the efforts, during an interview with Axios, Trump said he hadn’t thought about the idea.
But added: “I will take a look.”
Later, a US official clarified that Trump had not decided whether the US would intervene in efforts to assemble the next Israeli government.
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 09:57
Netanyahu’s party repeats unsubstantiated claims Arabs ‘stole the election’
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has repeated unsubstantiated claims that Arab citizens of Israel “stole” Tuesday’s election, despite the official elections committee finding no evidence of widespread irregularities.
Analysts say Netanyahu is seeking to undermine the legitimacy of Arab voters’ ballots because Arab parties are expected to win a historically high number of seats, potentially enabling his Jewish Israeli rivals to form an alliance with them and remove him from power.
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 09:00
Netanyahu vows to eliminate Iran threat
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned against forming a coalition that relies on Arab-led parties while vowing to eliminate what he described as the existential threat posed by Iran.
Addressing supporters at Likud party headquarters in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Netanyahu said his right-wing bloc had a “decisive majority” among Jewish voters and those who support the Jewish state, despite preliminary results showing the alliance falling short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
“It is simply forbidden to endanger Israel and form a government that rests on anti-Zionist Arab parties. Parties that oppose our very existence, that see Hamas as a charitable organisation, that call our soldiers war criminals,” he said.
His remarks came as Arab-led parties appeared poised to win a record 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, potentially giving them a decisive role in efforts by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form a government and end Netanyahu’s hold on power.
Netanyahu also said Israel had a “historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, alongside US president Donald Trump, to eliminate the threat from Iran.
“Because as long as that fanatical regime exists, a regime that has inscribed on its banner, that has defined the very purpose of its existence as the destruction of ours, it will try again to annihilate us. And it is within our power, together with our wonderful friend president Trump, to remove this threat once and for all.”
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 08:00
90% of votes counted as Netanyahu’s bloc 8 seats short of majority
Israel’s election results are still yet to be confirmed, with nearly 90 per cent of ballots counted leaving Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc eight seats short of a parliamentary majority.
The Central Election Committee said Netanyahu’s alliance was on course to secure 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc.
The figures mark a reversal from pre-election opinion polls and initial exit polls, which had put Eisenkot’s alliance ahead, The Times of Israel reported.
The remaining count includes an estimated 430,000 to 480,000 double-envelope ballots cast by soldiers, prisoners, diplomats abroad and other voters unable to vote at their designated polling stations.
Officials are due to begin counting these ballots early on Thursday, with the tally expected to be completed by Thursday evening.
Final official results are expected on 4 November.
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 07:00
Balad leader accuses Israeli parties of ‘racism’ over exclusion of Arab bloc
Balad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh has accused Israel’s main political leaders of “racism” for refusing to form a coalition with Arab-led parties despite their projected record 19 seats in parliament.
Balad is one of the Joint List’s three parties.
He said that Palestinian citizens of Israel are being treated as illegitimate political partners.
“This is racism,” he told Al Jazeera. “We are a legitimate elected leadership of the national minority. The vast majority of our people decided that we are their leadership.”
Daniel Shek, a former Israeli ambassador told the outlet: “Probably the most important phenomenon of this election is the rise and the revival of the Arab vote. The statement is clear: You cannot disregard such a large portion of the electorate in the calculations for Israeli politics.”
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 06:00
Four scenarios that could play out after Israel’s election as Netanyahu tries to cling onto power
With roughly 85 per cent of votes counted by Wednesday afternoon, neither the incumbent’s right-wing religious bloc nor the broad coalition aligned behind Mr Eisenkot commanded the 61 seats required to form an administration in the 120-seat Knesset.
Because key parties have ruled out working with one another on ideological or personal grounds, political analysts note that forming an administration will require at least one faction to reverse its campaign commitments. In the absence of an agreement, Israeli law mandates a return to the ballot box.
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 05:00
Arab parties in Israel poised for strongest electoral performance in generations
Arab parties in Israel are poised for their strongest electoral performance in generations, potentially winning 19 seats, up from 10 in the outgoing Parliament.
Their support could prove decisive in helping opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot secure the 61 seats needed to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu, whose alliance also appears short of a majority.
“Netanyahu knows that without the Arab parties, there’s no majority to unseat him. That’s why he incites against us,” Yousef Jabareen, the leader of the Joint List alliance said in an interview.
“The opposition should reject that incitement.”
He added: “The ball is now in Eisenkot’s court. Whoever wants to remove Netanyahu and change his policies – we are ready to cooperate to topple his government.”
However, partnering with the Arab parties, particularly the more nationalist Joint List, risks alienating Jewish voters and splitting Eisenkot’s bloc, analysts have said.
Arab Israelis make up about 20 per cent of the population in Israel but have long been marginalised in national politics.
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 04:00
Netanyahu’s party repeats unsubstantiated claims Arabs ‘stole the election’
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has repeated unsubstantiated claims that Arab citizens of Israel “stole” Tuesday’s election, despite the official elections committee finding no evidence of widespread irregularities.
Analysts say Netanyahu is seeking to undermine the legitimacy of Arab voters’ ballots because Arab parties are expected to win a historically high number of seats, potentially enabling his Jewish Israeli rivals to form an alliance with them and remove him from power.
Maroosha Muzaffar29 October 2026 02:59