Israel Deadlock Deepens: Likud Claims Election Stolen as Herzog Urges Parties to Avoid New Vote

JERUSALEM — Israel's election deadlock has deepened into a stolen-election row: with around 91 percent of votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leads with 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc holds 48, and Arab-led parties hold a record 19, with 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Likud claimed the election was stolen by Arab parties through bribery, threats, violence, forgeries and illegal voter-mobilisation software, and demanded investigations by the police, the Shin Bet and the Central Elections Committee. The Joint List rejected the claim as the rhetoric of the defeated and said there were no irregularities, according to figures published by the Central Elections Committee and reported by Reuters and our election-day coverage.

President Isaac Herzog urged party leaders to do everything they can to avoid another election and to come to consultations with an open mind. He expects to receive the official results from Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg next week and will then consult every Knesset faction; the final tally is expected by October 30, with official results published November 4, and the tapped candidate will have up to 42 days to form a government. Together, Eisenkot's 48 seats and the Arab parties' 19 reach 67, but the Joint List has ruled out joining an Eisenkot-led government while leaving open support from outside, following our Middle East coverage.

Turnout reached 77.7 percent, the highest since 1988 for that point in the day, and around half a million double-envelope ballots were still being counted. If no nominee succeeds, another election follows with Netanyahu staying on as caretaker. More from News Plus Globe as the final count lands.