Israel's president begins consultations with parties after election deadlock — SkimNews
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- Isaac Herzog began consultations with party representatives Wednesday evening about whom to task with forming a government, warning that not every commitment or promise could be fulfilled if Israel was to avoid another election.
- Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg presented Herzog with the official results Wednesday; electoral officials said there was no evidence of irregularities and that Netanyahu’s camp’s claims that Arab-led parties “stole” the election did not justify delaying certification.
- Netanyahu’s Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies won 53 of 120 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties won 48, leaving both blocs without a majority.
- United Arab List and Joint List won a combined 19 seats after a surge in Arab voter turnout, an unprecedented result that made the two Arab-led alliances potential kingmakers; all but one Jewish party had pledged not to work with them.
- Isaac Herzog has discretion to select the Knesset member he believes has the best chance of building a coalition, even if that member does not lead the largest party; the chosen lawmaker receives 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension.
- Shin Bet is investigating alleged foreign interference, with its intelligence appearing to point to a widespread influx of substantial funds from foreign states; the committee said the allegations would not fundamentally change the outcome, and Qatar denied a reported claim that it sought to boost Arab turnout.
- Gali Baharav-Miara rejected a reported request by Shin Bet chief David Zini to interrogate four Arab politicians because no evidence of wrongdoing had been presented; Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the arrest and interrogation of all Arab party leaders.
Why it matters: Herzog’s choice starts a 28-day coalition-building clock, extendable by 14 days, in which the two Arab-led alliances’ 19 seats make them potential kingmakers even though all but one Jewish party pledged not to work with them; Netanyahu’s 53-seat bloc and Eisenkot’s 48-seat bloc both remain short of a majority.
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