Germany takes cautious approach on Israeli election results

■ Steady

Israel's election leaves no bloc with 61 seats as Likud alleges fraud by Arab parties

On Friday, reports said neither bloc has reached the 61 Knesset seats needed to govern. Likud alleged without evidence that voter fraud partly drove record gains by Arab parties, which could now be kingmakers. Final results gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc 48, with Arab-majority parties on 19. The opposition has a majority only if it works with Palestinian-Israeli parties, which most Jewish opposition parties have ruled out.

• Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats and Eisenkot's bloc 48, according to final results reported on Thursday.
• Netanyahu and allies urged the Shin Bet to investigate alleged vote buying and foreign backing for Arab parties, and Israel's Central Elections Committee asked the Shin Bet chief to probe alleged Qatari interference. Critics accused Netanyahu of smear tactics.
• German politicians have been slow to respond while they wait to see which coalition emerges.