Israeli President Herzog Begins Coalition Talks After Certifying Election Results

President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday formally accepted the certified results of Israel's recent parliamentary election and opened consultations with party representatives to determine who will be tasked with forming a new government. The certification ends the electoral dispute and signals the start of the coalition-building process.

Herzov said, "The elections are over. Now is the time to face reality," and warned that public confidence in the electoral system is fragile. The elections commission earlier reported that its investigation found no evidence of irregularities that would have compromised the vote.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, head of the elections committee, reiterated that the results are legally binding and that, while suspicions of foreign funding exist, they have not been proven to affect the outcome. He added that casting doubt on the results could be harmful.

In the October 27 vote, neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot secured a majority, leaving open the possibility of a coalition between the two rivals or between Eisenkot and Arab-led parties. Three parties aligned with Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist base have recommended he be given the first opportunity to form a government, while a fourth party, led by a former Netanyahu ally, suggested Eisenkot. Additional parties, including the two Arab-led factions, are scheduled for meetings with Herzog.

Herzog will select the candidate he believes most likely to assemble a coalition within several days, after which negotiations are expected to continue for weeks. If no viable coalition emerges, a new election could be called early next year.

Separately, the Shin Bet intelligence service sought permission to interrogate several Arab lawmakers as part of its probe into possible foreign interference. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected the request, stating that interrogation without evidence is not permissible. The Joint List of Arab parties described the request as a campaign intended to delegitimize the Arab vote. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the arrest of Arab party leaders, a suggestion rejected by the president, who condemned recent racist remarks and urged that Arab voters not be smeared.