Arab parties emerge as Israel's kingmakers

Netanyahu turns up heat amid allegations of Qatari funding

JERUSALEM:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc intensified pressure on Arab-Israeli political leaders on Thursday over unproven allegations of foreign funding, as neither his camp nor the opposition appeared capable of securing a parliamentary majority after an inconclusive election.

President Isaac Herzog called for an investigation into the allegations but cautioned against stigmatising the Arab-Israeli community, whose participation in Tuesday's election reached unprecedented levels.

With nearly 93% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc held 53 seats against 48 for opposition forces led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, short of the 61 required to form a government. The two Arab political formations were projected to win a combined 19 seats, giving them a decisive role in government formation.

Eisenkot has, however, resisted cooperation following repeated attacks by Netanyahu, who warned his right-wing supporters that voting for the opposition could bring Arabs to power.

The controversy centres on allegations that Raam, led by Mansour Abbas, received money from Qatar. Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the Central Elections Committee, requested an investigation by the Shin Bet security service.

Netanyahu's Likud party called the allegations a "political earthquake", while Abbas denied any connection to the affair and welcomed an investigation. The Joint List accused Netanyahu and his allies of inciting hostility towards Arab citizens.

Officials provided no evidence supporting the funding allegations. Left-wing politician Yair Golan accused Netanyahu of attempting to challenge the election results after failing to secure a majority. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari described the accusations as "ridiculous and dangerous".