Israel's election commission upholds October vote results, dismisses fraud claims

Israel's Central Elections Committee announced on Wednesday that the final results of the 27 October parliamentary election stand, confirming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition lost its governing majority. The committee said its review found no evidence of irregularities that would compromise the integrity of the vote or affect the outcome.

The commission presented the certified results to President Isaac Herzog, who condemned recent racist remarks directed at Palestinian citizens of Israel and affirmed respect for their contribution to society. Herzog is expected to task opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with the first attempt to form a new government.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected a Shin Bet request to interrogate senior politicians from Palestinian-led parties, stating that “in a country governed by the rule of law, neither citizens nor elected officials can be interrogated without evidence that justifies doing so.”

Eiskenkot warned that attempts to undermine confidence in the election results continue, accusing Netanyahu of using security forces for political purposes. “The employees of the Ministry of Defense, law enforcement, and the civil service in Israel are servants of the state, not the king,” he said.

Analyst Nadav Eyal cautioned that further efforts to delegitimize the election could increase tensions, writing that “the groundwork is steadily being laid for violence.”

Palestinian politician Ahmad Tibi, who was reportedly among those Shin Bet sought to question, responded on social media, linking the attorney general’s review to broader concerns about alleged foreign influence.

The election commission’s chair, Noam Sohlberg, noted that while some suspicions remain under investigation, they do not call the overall result into question or justify delaying its certification.