President Isaac Herzog has accepted the certified results of last week's parliamentary elections as legally binding and has begun consultations with party representatives to form a new government. In launching these talks with the parties that received the largest vote shares, Herzog urged political leaders to avoid new elections.
The decision effectively pushes aside claims of voter fraud and irregularities made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters. Netanyahu's allies have refused to back the results, alleging that Arab-led parties stole the election, possibly with foreign assistance. However, the Central Elections Committee stated it found no evidence to question the integrity of the results.
President Herzog will meet with party leaders over the next two days to decide whether to give Prime Minister Netanyahu or his rivals the first chance at forming a coalition. Currently, neither Netanyahu nor his rival Gadi Eisenkot commands enough votes alone to form a government.
Once a contender is tasked with the responsibility, they will have 28 days to form a government, with a potential 14-day extension. The official results of the October 27 election are scheduled to be released on November 4.