Israel's Arab parties become kingmakers after winning a record 19 seats as Netanyahu's bloc falls short of a majority
Seven men, including three school principals, have been detained on bribery allegations linked to the Arab Ra'am party after cash-filled envelopes were discovered in raids.
Neither bloc has secured the 61 seats needed to govern, leaving Israel in protracted coalition talks with Netanyahu continuing as caretaker prime minister. The final count gave Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc 53 seats against opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's alliance on 48, with Arab turnout surging to nearly 80 per cent to deliver the historic result.
Netanyahu's Likud won 27 seats — the largest single party — followed by Eisenkot's Yashar on 21 and Naftali Bennett's Beyachad on 12.
Right-wing parties in the opposition bloc have said they will not sit in coalition with Arab parties, leaving Eisenkot with no clear path to 61.
A Jewish ex-cop and self-described Zionist, Yoav Segalovitz, will enter the Knesset representing Arab Islamist party Ra'am — a symbol of the unlikely alliances now on the table.
