Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid accused loyalists of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu within the security establishment late Tuesday of trying to steal the Knesset election and urged opposition parties to set aside their differences and form a government quickly.

“What we are seeing tonight is an attempt to destroy democracy and steal the election with the help of government loyalists inside the security establishment,” Lapid wrote on US social media platform X.

He called it a “direct threat to our democracy” from people who refused to accept defeat and urged state institutions to resist the effort.

Lapid spoke after Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Shin Bet chief David Zini had sought to question three Arab party leaders in an inquiry into possible foreign interference in the election. Law enforcement officials found no evidence to justify questioning them, the broadcaster said.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected Zini’s bid to treat the inquiry as a security case, which would have given the agency broader investigative powers, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Netanyahu’s Likud party accused her of obstructing the inquiry.

The dispute comes ahead of Wednesday’s scheduled release of the final results. The vote count gave Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats, Eisenkot’s opposition bloc 48 and the two Arab lists a combined 19. Neither main bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority.

President Isaac Herzog is expected to begin consultations with party representatives Wednesday on forming a government, according to the Israeli daily Maariv. (AA)