Israel Certifies Election Results as Netanyahu’s Bloc Loses Parliamentary Majority

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has accepted the certified results of last week’s parliamentary elections as legally binding, paving the way for consultations on forming a new government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc lost its majority in parliament.

Herzog made the move on Wednesday, rejecting attempts to cast doubt on the outcome of the October 27 election, in which Arab-led parties also recorded historic gains.

“The elections are over. Now is the time to face reality,” Herzog said.

Election Commission Finds No Evidence of Fraud

Israel’s elections commission said it had completed a thorough investigation into claims of electoral fraud but found no evidence of irregularities that compromised the integrity of the vote or affected the results.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the commission, said the certified results were legally binding and warned against attempts to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

However, a separate investigation by Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence service into alleged foreign interference in the election remains ongoing.

The agency reportedly raised concerns about substantial funds entering Israel from foreign countries, including states considered hostile to the country, but did not provide evidence to support the assertion.

Sohlberg maintained that the allegations remained suspicions and that even if established, their potential impact on the election results was limited.

Herzog Begins Consultations on New Government

Following the certification of the results, Herzog began meeting political party representatives on Wednesday to determine who should be given the opportunity to form a government.

Neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot secured the parliamentary majority required to govern, leaving coalition negotiations uncertain.

Three factions aligned with Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist base recommended that he be given the mandate to form a government, while another party backed Eisenkot.

Further consultations involving eight parties, including the two Arab-led factions, were scheduled for Thursday.

After the meetings, Herzog is expected to select the candidate he believes has the best chance of securing a coalition. The decision will be followed by weeks of negotiations.

If neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot succeeds in forming a government, Israel could hold another election early next year.

Attorney General Rejects Request to Question Arab Lawmakers

The Shin Bet had reportedly sought approval to question several elected officials, including Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas and other senior Arab lawmakers, as part of its investigation into possible foreign interference.

However, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected the request, saying elected officials and citizens could not be interrogated without evidence justifying such action.

The Joint List of Arab parties condemned the request, describing it as an attempt to delegitimise Arab voters and their political representation.

Herzog said the intelligence investigation should continue but warned against targeting Arab Israeli voters with accusations.

“I condemn the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently,” he said.

The Associated Press