‘Ra’amgate’ controversy: A political setback for Netanyahu?

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The election bribery allegations raised by Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party against the United Arab List, headed by Mansour Abbas, have yielded little. Dubbed “Ra’amgate,” the allegations claim that the list used Qatari funds to encourage voters to cast their ballots for it.

Dean Livne, Acting Director-General of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, said Friday that the reports under investigation by the Shin Bet, which include classified information, were entirely unfounded and would not obstruct government formation.

The statement disrupted Netanyahu’s calculations, which involved preventing Gadi Eisenkot from forming a government with Arab support without Arab parties joining the coalition, or forming a government that includes Mansour Abbas, whose list won eight seats, with external support from the Joint List, which secured 11 seats.

Over the past 24 hours, marathon meetings have been held among parties in the Change Bloc in an attempt to persuade Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett to reconsider their positions and accept Mansour Abbas’ participation in or support for a government. 

A meeting was also held between the leader of the Democrats Party and Abbas, during which they discussed various scenarios for forming a government with the support of the United Arab List.

The scenarios under consideration include a minority government headed by Eisenkot and supported by Palestinian citizens of Israel, in exchange for meeting their conditions and demands.

Another possibility is a government with a majority of 63 Knesset members, relying on Abbas’ support from either inside or outside the coalition, alongside the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party.

A third option is a government joined by ultra-Orthodox parties, despite their opposition to military service. Among them is Shas, which, shortly after the polls closed and the initial results emerged, hinted that such an alliance could succeed.