Israeli President Isaac Herzog has begun consultations with the parties that won seats in the election to decide whom to task with forming a new government, following an election in which no single party secured a decisive victory, reports the BBC.Herzog told party leaders that if they wish to avoid repeat elections, they should not insist on fulfilling every single campaign promise at all costs. Neither the political bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu nor the one led by his rival, Gadi Eisenkot, managed to secure a parliamentary majority.Election officials have stated that there is no evidence of irregularities in the electoral process; furthermore, unsubstantiated claims by Netanyahu’s camp—that Arab parties “stole” the election—do not justify delaying the formal recognition of the results. While the Israel Security Agency is investigating potential foreign interference in the election, the head of the Central Elections Committee has indicated that this will not alter the election outcome.In the elections held on the 27th of November, Netanyahu’s party—along with its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies—secured 53 seats in parliament. Eisenkot’s centrist party, together with three other opposition parties, secured 48 seats. Meanwhile, two Arab parties together won 19 seats—an unprecedentedly strong result for them. The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has a total of 120 seats, which means that the Arab parties could potentially determine who will lead the country for the next four years. However, prior to the election, almost all Jewish parties ruled out the possibility of cooperating with Arab political forces.The office of the President of Israel is primarily ceremonial; nevertheless, following an election, it is the President who selects the individual tasked with forming a government.This person is granted 28 days to complete the task, with the possibility of a 14-day extension. The President has the discretion to choose the person deemed most suitable to form a government—a choice that does not necessarily have to be the leader of the party that won the most seats.Herzog announced the commencement of consultations on the evening of the 4th of November. He stated that, in order to avoid repeat elections and to establish a stable, effective government for the people of Israel, political factions and their representatives must recognize that, given the current reality, it will not be possible to fulfill every promise made. The President also expressed confidence in the security services’ ability to investigate potential foreign interference and urged patience. Furthermore, Herzog emphasized that the vilification of Arab Israelis—who make up approximately one-fifth of Israel’s population—must not be tolerated, and he condemned the racist rhetoric that has been heard so frequently of late.In late October, Israeli media reported that the Central Elections Committee had received information regarding the possible use of funding from Qatar to boost voter turnout among the Arab population. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs has categorically denied these allegations. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on the security services to arrest the leaders of Arab political parties and interrogate them until the suspicions are fully clarified. Yousef Jabareen, a leader of one of the Arab parties, accused Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu of attempting to “steal the election” from the public.On the 3rd of November, Eisenkot suggested that Netanyahu and his party were orchestrating a full-scale assault on democracy and the rule of law. His comments came after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara refused to comply with a demand by security service chief David Zini to question four Arab politicians, stating that there was insufficient evidence to do so. Netanyahu’s party responded by accusing the Attorney General of attempting to obstruct the investigation in order to cover up serious election manipulation carried out by foreign agents.
Israeli President begins consultations with parties on forming a government
