Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepts election results and begins government talks

Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepted the certified results of the general election and initiated formal consultations with party representatives in Jerusalem. The formal acceptance bypasses an attempt by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies to cast doubt on the vote, dealing a setback to efforts to discredit an outcome where the incumbent right-wing bloc lost its majority in the Knesset.

The transition into coalition talks follows a parliamentary vote held on October 27, 2026, which ended in parliamentary deadlock. Neither the religious-nationalist coalition led by Netanyahu nor the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot secured the 61 seats necessary to govern out of the 120 total seats in parliament.

Media additions

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Following the presentation of the certified results by Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, Herzog addressed the political factions directly.

"The elections are over. Now is the time to face reality"

Isaac Herzog, Israeli President, via Channelnewsasia

Herzog urged leaders from across the political spectrum to compromise, noting that not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled if the country is to avoid being dragged into an early election next year.

Ahead of the consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his supporters alleged that Arab-led parties had stolen the election with possible foreign assistance. However, Israel’s elections commission stated that it conducted a thorough investigation and found no evidence of irregularities that compromised the integrity of the election or affected its results.

A separate inquiry by the Shin Bet intelligence service, headed by Netanyahu appointee David Zini, into alleged foreign financial inflows remains ongoing. Justice Sohlberg remarked during a committee meeting that even if such suspicions were substantiated, their potential impact scope is limited. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected a Shin Bet request to interrogate elected officials without supporting evidence, drawing sharp criticism from Likud and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who called for the arrest of Arab party leaders.

Herzog condemned the rhetoric targeting Arab-Israeli citizens, who make up roughly twenty percent of the population and recorded historic turnout gains yielding an unprecedented 19 seats between Ra'am and the Joint List.

"I condemn the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently"

Isaac Herzog, Israeli President, via Channelnewsasia

Herzog cautioned that Arab voters must not be smeared.

Political Faction / Bloc	Seats Won	Stance / Recommendation in Talks
Netanyahu's Bloc (Likud and Allies)	53	Backed by religious-nationalist factions; faces splintering within ultra-Orthodox allies like Degel HaTorah.
Eisenkot's Opposition Bloc (Yashar and Allies)	48	Backed by opposition parties; bolstered by Ra'am's decision to recommend Eisenkot.
Arab-Led Parties (Ra'am & Joint List)	19	Historic surge; Ra'am backs Eisenkot, while Joint List coordinates options.

President Herzog must conclude his consultations and designate a candidate to form a government. Under Israeli statutory guidelines, the designated nominee will receive 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a potential 14-day extension available. If the designated candidate fails to secure a majority coalition during this window, the mandate will shift, or parliament could face a pathway toward fresh elections early next year.