Following a period of political gridlock where no bloc secured a majority in the Oct. 27 parliamentary elections, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has officially accepted the certified results and begun consultations to form a new government, marking a decisive step forward in the post-election process.
What the Left Is Saying
Opposition leaders and Arab-led parties, who view the certification as a victory for democratic integrity, welcomed the move as a rejection of attempts to delegitimize their historic gains. The Joint List of Arab parties condemned recent calls by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for interrogations of Arab lawmakers as a "campaign of incitement" designed to undermine the election results. President Herzog echoed this concern, stating, "I condemn the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently," and cautioned that Arab Israeli voters "must not be smeared." Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, whose Yashar party is a key player in the coalition talks, has positioned himself as the candidate most likely to break the deadlock, with the Shin Bet's ongoing investigation into foreign interference being viewed by his camp as a potential avenue to challenge Netanyahu's legitimacy if new evidence emerges.
What the Right Is Saying
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have maintained that the election results were compromised by foreign interference, despite the elections commission finding no evidence of fraud affecting the outcome. Netanyahu’s Likud party did not respond to requests for comment on the certification. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right ally, called on the Shin Bet to "arrest all the leaders of the Arab political parties" and interrogate them in "basement interrogation cells until these suspicions are fully clarified." Supporters of Netanyahu argue that the Shin Bet's assessment of "substantial funds" flowing from hostile foreign states warrants further scrutiny before a government is formed, even as the Supreme Court Justice heading the elections committee, Noam Sohlberg, warned that casting doubt on the results is "dangerous" and that public trust is "easy to destroy, yet very difficult to repair."
What the Numbers Show
The elections commission, following a thorough investigation of all parties' claims, stated it found "no evidence of irregularities that compromised the integrity of the election or affected its results." In the Oct. 27 vote, neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Herzog began consultations on Wednesday night, with three factions aligned with Netanyahu's religious-nationalist base recommending Netanyahu be given a chance to form a coalition. A fourth faction, led by a former Netanyahu ally turned rival, recommended Eisenkot. Eight more parties, including two Arab-led factions, are scheduled to meet with Herzog on Thursday. The Shin Bet, led by Netanyahu appointee David Zini, is conducting a separate investigation into foreign interference but has provided no evidence to support its assertion of a "widespread phenomenon involving the influx of substantial funds." Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected the Shin Bet's request to interrogate senior Arab lawmakers, stating it is "not permissible to interrogate citizens or elected officials without evidence to justify such action."
The Bottom Line
President Herzog will now choose the candidate he believes is most likely to form a coalition government, a decision expected within several days. This selection will trigger weeks of coalition negotiations. If neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot can assemble a governing majority, Israel faces the prospect of holding new elections early next year. The ongoing Shin Bet investigation into foreign interference remains a potential wildcard, though legal experts note that without concrete evidence linking interference to specific voting outcomes, the certified results remain legally binding.