Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday accepted the certified results of the Oct. 27 parliamentary elections and began formal consultations with political party representatives to determine who will be tasked with forming a new coalition government.
The move followed unsubstantiated claims from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters that Arab-led parties had "stolen" the election. However, Israel's elections commission reported on Wednesday that a thorough investigation found no evidence of irregularities that compromised the integrity or results of the vote. Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, head of the commission, stated that the results are legally binding and warned that casting doubt on the process damages public trust.
During a meeting on Wednesday, Sohlberg noted that the Shin Bet intelligence service is investigating suspicions of foreign funding entering Israel. A transcript obtained by The Associated Press indicated the agency believes funds arrived from foreign states, including hostile nations. However, the commission maintained that even if these suspicions are substantiated, they do not believe the interference affected the results. A request by the Shin Bet to interrogate senior Arab lawmakers, including Ra'am party leader Mansour Abbas, was rejected by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara due to a lack of evidence.
Consultations began Wednesday night with Herzog meeting various factions. Three parties aligned with Netanyahu recommended him as prime minister-designate, while one party recommended opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. Eight more parties are scheduled to meet with the president on Thursday. Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot secured a clear parliamentary majority in the election, which saw a 77.7% turnout, the highest in two decades.
The outcome of these consultations affects all 9.3 million citizens of Israel. For the approximately 2 million Arab citizens of Israel, the record turnout and subsequent gains by Arab-led parties represent a shift in political influence, though far-right officials like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have called for the arrest and interrogation of their political leaders. The failure to form a stable coalition would require a new national election early next year.
The day-to-day change for residents will depend on which bloc secures power. A government led by Gadi Eisenkot might rely on support from Arab-led parties, while a Netanyahu-led government would maintain its religious-nationalist base. The Attorney General’s refusal to permit interrogations without evidence sets a standard for how intelligence services may interact with elected officials.
President Herzog is expected to announce his choice for prime minister-designate within several days. Once designated, that individual will have weeks to negotiate with other parties to form a majority coalition. If these negotiations fail, the country would hold a new election early next year. The Shin Bet investigation into foreign interference remains ongoing.