By Basant El-Faramawy
Israel's President Isaac Herzog will begin consultations with political parties on Wednesday evening to decide who will be tasked with forming a new coalition government, after official election results showed no clear winner.
Election results and deadlock
In the October 27 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud bloc won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while rival Gadi Eisenkot's centrist bloc secured 48. Two Arab-led alliances together won 19 seats, making them potential kingmakers, though most Jewish parties have ruled out cooperating with them.
President's role and warnings
Herzog received the official results from Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg on Wednesday morning. Sohlberg warned against attempts to cast doubt on the results, calling it a danger to democracy. Herzog urged parties to compromise, saying not every commitment can be fulfilled if they want to avoid another election.
Allegations of foreign interference
The Shin Bet security service is investigating allegations of foreign interference, including claims that Qatar funded efforts to boost Arab voter turnout. Qatar denies the allegation. Committee chairman Sohlberg said intelligence points to substantial foreign funds entering Israel, but stressed the investigation would not fundamentally change the outcome.
Rising tensions and accusations
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the arrest of Arab party leaders, while Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen accused Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu of trying to steal the election. Eisenkot alleged Netanyahu is attempting a "pogrom against democracy." Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected a Shin Bet request to interrogate four Arab politicians, citing lack of evidence. Likud accused her of obstructing the investigation.
