Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out partnering with Arab-led parties to form a coalition, even as their historic gains in the October 27 parliamentary election place them in a potentially decisive role.

With his right-wing bloc falling short of a 61-seat majority, Netanyahu’s Likud party has accused Arab political factions of widespread election fraud, claiming the vote was “stolen” through alleged voter bribery, intimidation, and irregularities. Arab party leaders have rejected the allegations as a scare tactic aimed at delegitimising their surging electoral presence.

Now, the question remains whether the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot will be willing to work with the Arab-led Ra’am and Joint List parties to end Netanyahu’s tenure, or whether political differences will prevent an alternative government from taking shape.

The Times of Israel reported, citing the latest partial count, that Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with…