Israel Certifies Election Results Despite Fraud Claims

The 11 parties that entered the new Knesset are now in the process of forming a government after election results were certified on Wednesday. President Isaac Herzog received the certified tally from the Central Elections Committee, which ends the initial phase of the election cycle. This move sets the stage for Herzog to task a leader with building a coalition.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the outcome since the morning of the vote. He claimed the election was stolen, pointing to investigations into voter fraud and foreign interference. Netanyahu and his Likud party argue that these factors drove record turnout in the Arab community. The Likud’s legal representative on the Central Elections Committee argued against certification until the last moment because the investigations were still active.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, chair of the committee, stated that the body was legally required to certify the results within eight days of the vote. He noted that the outgoing coalition has the right to appeal the decision, likely to the Jerusalem District Court. Sohlberg emphasized that even if the allegations are confirmed, their impact on the final tally is limited. He warned that casting doubt on the results is a danger to democracy.

The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, stated it found evidence of widespread foreign funding and influence operations. The agency claimed these operations involved thousands of people. However, sources in the law enforcement system said they were not familiar with the claim that huge sums of money were involved. Shin Bet head David Zini told Sohlberg that he would follow the attorney general’s instructions in the probe.

Gadi Eisenkot is the leading candidate to form the next government. The four Jewish-led opposition parties won 48 seats, while the two Arab parties won 19. Most opposition parties are opposed to bringing Arab parties into the coalition or relying on their votes from outside. Eisenkot has only six weeks to build a majority before Herzog may offer the task to Netanyahu. He aims to use the anti-Netanyahu majority of 67 seats to pass legislative changes before a new coalition is formed.

In the United States, Democrats took control of both houses of Congress in the midterms. This shift places new pressure on US military aid to Israel. President Donald Trump announced that a $4 billion annual aid package will end at the close of 2026. This decision comes two years before the current memorandum of understanding expires. Netanyahu had previously warned that US weapons packages would stop, but the defense establishment apparently did not receive advance warning of the sudden timeline.

Herzog invoked the 31st anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination during the ceremony. He urged citizens to extend a hand amid the dispute. Eisenkot must now navigate a narrow path to power, potentially relying on the seven-seat United Torah Judaism party, which has conflicting goals regarding military service for the ultra-Orthodox community.