JERUSALEM | November 4, 2026 — Israeli President Isaac Herzog has formally accepted the certified results of last week’s parliamentary elections, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to challenge the outcome after his religious-nationalist bloc lost its governing majority and Arab-led parties made significant gains.
Herzog declared the results legally binding on Wednesday after receiving them from Central Elections Committee chairman and Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg. He also announced that he would begin consultations with political parties to determine which candidate has the strongest chance of forming Israel’s next government, according to the Associated Press.
The president’s decision followed an investigation by the Central Elections Committee, which found no evidence of electoral irregularities that compromised the integrity of the October 27 vote or affected its results.
Acting committee director Dean Livne said investigators examined complaints individually and thoroughly but found no evidence supporting allegations that the election results were invalid. The committee maintained that the certified results accurately reflected the choices made by voters.
Netanyahu and his supporters had repeatedly alleged that Arab-led parties had stolen the election, possibly with assistance from foreign actors. However, the allegations have not been substantiated by evidence from the election investigation.
The certified results show that Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, eight short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority. The opposition alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties secured 19 seats, giving them a potentially decisive role in government negotiations.
Although the election commission found no evidence of fraud, a separate investigation by Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, into alleged foreign interference remains ongoing. The agency reportedly raised suspicions of substantial foreign funding and influence operations but has not publicly presented evidence establishing that these activities altered the election outcome.
Supreme Court Justice Sohlberg stressed that even if the suspicions were eventually substantiated, the committee believed their potential impact would not undermine the integrity of the electoral process. He also warned that casting doubt on election results without sufficient evidence could seriously damage public confidence in democratic institutions.
The dispute intensified after the Shin Bet sought permission to question several elected Arab lawmakers, including Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected the request, saying elected officials and ordinary citizens could not be interrogated without evidence justifying such action.
Herzog, meanwhile, condemned racist statements directed at Arab Israeli voters and warned against using the investigation to stigmatize an entire community. He called on political leaders to exercise restraint and compromise to prevent another election.
Under Israel’s parliamentary system, voters elect representatives to the 120-member Knesset through nationwide proportional representation. No party has ever governed alone, making coalition agreements essential to forming a government. The president consults elected parties before selecting the candidate considered most likely to secure parliamentary support.
Herzog is expected to complete consultations with party representatives before deciding whether Netanyahu or Eisenkot should receive the mandate to form a government. The designated candidate will have a limited period to negotiate a coalition, with a possible extension under the law. If neither candidate succeeds, Israel could face another parliamentary election early next year.
The latest developments mark a critical moment for Israeli democracy, as the election results have not only weakened Netanyahu’s political position but also highlighted the growing influence of Arab-led parties in national politics. Whether the opposition can translate its electoral gains into a governing coalition will determine the country’s political direction in the coming months.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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