Israel Election Commission Certifies Results and Rejects Netanyahu Fraud Claims

The update

Israel’s Central Elections Committee on Wednesday certified the final results of the 27 October general election, saying a review of 9,069 polling stations found no irregularities that compromised the vote or changed its outcome. Committee chair Noam Sohlberg presented the results to President Isaac Herzog. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc 48 and Arab-led parties Ra’am and the Joint List a record 19, leaving no bloc with the 61 seats needed to govern the 120-seat Knesset.

Why it matters

The certification rejects claims by Netanyahu and his allies, made without evidence, that Arab-led parties stole the election with foreign help. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara also blocked a Shin Bet demand to interrogate senior politicians from Palestinian-led parties, saying she had been shown no evidence of wrongdoing. Sohlberg warned that casting doubt on the results posed a real danger to democracy, and Herzog condemned racist attacks on Palestinian citizens of Israel.

What to watch

Herzog will hold two days of consultations with party leaders before naming the candidate best placed to form a coalition, who will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension. Eisenkot has opposition backing, but a unity government, an alliance involving Arab-led parties, or another election early next year remain possible.

Sources

• theguardian.com — confirms certification, the fraud review and the attorney general’s decision
• aljazeera.com — confirms seat totals, Herzog’s consultations and the coalition timetable

Related coverage

• Israel’s Opposition Leaders Back Eisenkot to Form Government and Replace Netanyahu
• Supreme Court Rejects Trump Request to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots
• DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Intervene in California Ballot Dispute on Eve of Election