Netanyahu’s party challenges Israeli election results over fraud claims

Netanyahu’s Likud party is challenging Israel’s election results, alleging fraud and foreign interference involving Arab-led parties.

Those parties won 19 seats in the 120-member parliament, a record, while no bloc won a majority.

The electoral commission says it will publish the official results as planned, and President Isaac Herzog is due to receive them before meeting political parties.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara asked intelligence services to provide evidence for the fraud allegations and said no one should be investigated without grounds.

The allegations have sharpened a dispute over the election process, with Likud accusing the attorney general of a cover-up and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot warning of a constitutional crisis.

Eisenkot’s opposition bloc has 48 seats, compared with 53 for Netanyahu’s camp, so Arab lawmakers could help the opposition form a majority.

The opposition leaders say they want to form a government quickly, but disagree over whether to include Arab parties and have also discussed alliances with Orthodox Jewish parties.