Smotrich Promises Gaza Settlements as Netanyahu Bloc Lags at 56 Seats

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared on Wednesday that Jewish settlements will be established in Gaza, a territory where Israel dismantled all settlements in 2005. He made the statement at the headquarters of his Religious Zionism party in Jerusalem, asserting that his party would protect the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank. Smotrich dismissed opposition celebrations and stated that his rivals would not reverse what he called the government's settlement revolution.

The declaration came as preliminary counts indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing alliance was trailing the threshold for a parliamentary majority. With approximately 55 percent of ballots counted, projections show Netanyahu’s bloc winning 56 seats. The coalition requires 61 seats to control the 120-seat Knesset. This narrow margin leaves Arab-led parties in a decisive position to determine which camp forms the next government.

During the vote on Tuesday, right-wing leaders raised concerns regarding voter turnout and the integrity of the election. Smotrich posted on Facebook that turnout was unusually high in Arab communities and left-wing strongholds, though he provided no specific figures to support the claim. He warned that a failure to mobilize right-wing voters could allow supporters of terror to enter the government.

Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud party, echoed these concerns while voting was underway. He accused three senior figures from the Ra'am party of attempting to steal the election and warned that an opposition victory would threaten Israel's Jewish character. Police confirmed the arrest of three individuals on suspicion of voter bribery, but officials noted that there was no indication any of the suspects held senior positions within Ra'am.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev of Likud amplified the theft allegations on social media. She wrote that the opposition was trying to steal the elections and the country from the right, framing the outcome as a choice between the right and Palestine. British-American political scientist Dov Waxman observed that Netanyahu is likely to emphasize to the public that a coalition including Arab parties would be illegitimate. Arab political leaders have described the prime minister's election-day messages as racist and inflammatory.

Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Ra'am party, stated that he has been approached by both Netanyahu’s Likud and the opposition camp. The opposition is led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who heads the Yashar party. Neither major political camp appears to have secured a clear majority, placing the balance of power in the hands of the Arab-led bloc.