"These accusations are ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure. Qatar should not be used as a scapegoat for the political failures of certain Israeli politicians," he wrote.
Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party added former Likud MK Gotliv to its slate, while RZP ran in a technical bloc with Zehut, led by Moshe Feiglin, in an effort to help clear the electoral threshold.
The memory of October 2000 has not faded, but it has been overtaken by the reality of the past four years, under a government that has done far more than neglect Arab citizens.
Neither party has committed to joining only a Netanyahu-led coalition, and Shas’s spiritual leader has indicated that he would be open to joining a government led by Eisenkot.
Netanyahu pulls ahead as of Wednesday morning • Arab parties predicted to reach a combined seat total of 19, complicating efforts to form a coalition
The 3.25% threshold is the minimum percentage of the national vote a party needs to win to be allocated any seats in the next Knesset.
In Umm al-Fahm, turnout reached 56.1% by 6 p.m., compared with a final turnout of 51.33% in 2022, an increase of 4.77 percentage points, with several hours of voting still remaining.
Watch the live broadcast for the latest projections, reactions, and what the results could mean for the next government.
Earlier on Tuesday, Likud said that it had received 620 reports of unusual incidents and suspected irregularities at polling stations in the Arab sector.
Likud, People of Israel, Shas, and Otzma Yehudit have called for extended voting hours, though only CEC Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg can decide to extend voting hours.
The party is concerned about the mobilization of the camp opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the difficulty of generating enthusiasm among some right-wing voters.
