Israel's President Isaac Herzog has begun talks with political parties to form a new government after neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his rival Gadi Eisenkot secured a parliamentary majority in the 27 October election.
In the 27 October election, Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies secured 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties won 48 seats, leaving both blocs short of the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Two Arab-led alliances, the United Arab List and the Joint List, won a record 19 seats after a sharp rise in turnout among Arab voters.
Their combined representation could prove decisive in forming a government. However, all but one of the Jewish parties ruled out working with Arab-led parties before the election.
Herzog received the official election results from Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg at a ceremony in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
He announced that consultations with political parties would begin that evening and called for compromise to prevent another election.
“In order to prevent another round of elections and to build a stable and good government here for the people of Israel, I expect the factions and their representatives to understand that, in the current reality, not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled,” he said.
Although the role of Israel's president is largely ceremonial, but after an election, they have the role of inviting a Knesset member to form a government. That person will be given 28 days to do so, with a potential 14-day extension.
The president has wide discretion to pick someone they believe has the best chance of building a coalition. They do not have to choose the leader of the party with the most seats.
The consultations come amid disputes over the election results, with Netanyahu's allies making unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties 'stole' the election.
Election officials said there was no evidence of irregularities that would justify delaying the certification of the results.
Speaking at Wednesday's ceremony, Noam Sohlberg warned against attempts to undermine public confidence in the election.
“In recent days, we have heard voices trying to cast doubt on the election results and to undermine their legitimacy. This is a real danger,” Sohlberg said.
“One of the foundations of democracy is the ability to have a peaceful transfer of power. This stems from the understanding that the will of the electorate obligates us all.”
Israel's Shin Bet security service is investigating allegations of foreign interference in the election.
Sohlberg said intelligence gathered by the agency appeared to indicate a “widespread phenomenon involving the influx of substantial funds into Israel from foreign states”, including some considered hostile to Israel.
However, he stressed that the allegations would not fundamentally change the election outcome.
Further investigation was needed to “connect the dots and determine the scale of the phenomenon with a high degree of certainty”, he added.
Israeli media reported last week that the Central Elections Committee had received allegations that Qatar provided funding to encourage higher voter turnout in Arab communities.
Qatar's foreign ministry categorically denied the allegation.
Herzog expressed confidence in Shin Bet's investigation and urged the public to remain patient while the allegations are examined.
He also warned against targeting Arab Israelis, who make up around one fifth of the country's population and often identify as Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The president said they “must not be smeared” over the allegations.
“I condemn the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently. There is no place for them toward any community in Israel,” he said.
The investigation has also led to growing tensions between Netanyahu's allies and opposition politicians.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads the Jewish Power party, called on Shin Bet to arrest the leaders of Arab parties and question them “until these suspicions are fully clarified”.
Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen accused Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu of trying to “steal the election from the public”.
On Tuesday, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu and Likud of “trying to carry out a veritable pogrom against democracy and the rule of law”.
His remarks followed a decision by Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to reject a reported request from Shin Bet chief David Zini, a Netanyahu appointee, to interrogate four Arab politicians.
Baharav-Miara said no evidence of wrongdoing had been presented to justify the interrogations.
Likud responded by accusing the attorney-general of attempting to “obstruct the investigation and to cover up this serious case of manipulation of the electoral process by foreign actors”.
With no political bloc holding a majority, Herzog's consultations will now determine which lawmaker gets the first opportunity to form a government and whether the parties can reach an agreement without another election.
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