Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said rival Arab parties cheated in his country’s elections after exit polls indicated his coalition failed to capture a majority in the Knesset, pushing the Middle Eastern democracy into a political deadlock.
Netanyahu’s Likud party and its allies outperformed expectations on Tuesday. But with results still trickling in on Wednesday evening, the prime minister failed to keep his majority in the Israeli parliament. There is still no clear winner. The opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, remains Likud’s top rival. But two Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, outperformed as they gained seats, drawing historic support as they are to win their largest-ever share of the vote.
