Israel’s Central Elections Committee has certified the results of last week’s parliamentary elections after finding no evidence of fraud, a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to discredit the vote.
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Committee → certify → vote
Speaking at the official results ceremony at President Isaac Herzog’s residence, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg said those casting doubt on the election results pose “a real danger” to Israel’s democracy.
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those → speak → democracy
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latest → back → talks
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What → ’ → election
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The elections committee said a review of 9,069 polling stations found no irregularities that compromised the integrity of the election or changed its results.
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that → back → results
Its acting director, Dean Livne, said every complaint had been examined individually and the results accurately reflected voters’ choices.
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results → act → choices
In the committee’s five-member presidium, representatives of Yesh Atid and Blue and White voted to ratify the results, while Likud and Shas abstained.
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Likud → vote → results
The chair, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, cast the deciding vote.
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chair → cast → vote
Netanyahu and his allies have repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Arab-led parties “stole” the election, possibly with foreign help.
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parties → claim → help
After the vote, the internal security agency Shin Bet told the committee that intelligence pointed to widespread foreign funding and influence operations involving “thousands of people and possibly more”, The Times of Israel reported.
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Times → tell → Israel
Law enforcement sources told Haaretz daily, they were unaware of any operation of that size.
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they → tell → size
The Shin Bet is reportedly seeking to question four Arab politicians, but has not given prosecutors evidence regarding three of them.
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Bet → seek → them
Likud accused Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of blocking the interrogations.
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Likud → accuse → interrogations
In turn, she effectively accused Shin Bet chief David Zini, a Netanyahu appointee, of undermining the rule of law, according to The Times of Israel.
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she → accuse → Israel
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Zini to arrest all Arab party leaders and question them in Shin Bet cells, even without the attorney general’s approval.
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Gvir → call → approval
He also demanded a freeze on certification and on forming a government.
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He → demand → government
“The elections were stolen, the results are fraudulent, foreign countries interfered,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X, adding that his far-right Otzma Yehudit party would therefore vote against approving the results.
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party → steal → results
Likud legislator Amit Halevi resigned from the committee.
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Halevi → resign → committee
He alleged that some lawmakers “bought their seats with bribe money” and that the vote reflected “the choice of the rulers of Qatar, Iran or Turkey”.
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vote → allege → Qatar
Haaretz reported that Likud had weighed refusing to recognise the results altogether.
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Likud → report → results
Such a move would be unprecedented in Israel, and would likely be swiftly overturned by the courts.
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move → overturn → courts
Sohlberg rejected a Likud demand to discuss the results before certifying them, writing that no party, “however distinguished or senior”, could withhold their publication.
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party → reject → publication
He has said even if foreign interference were confirmed, it would not undermine the overall result.
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it → say → result
Qatar has rejected claims that it funded Arab-led parties, calling them disinformation.
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it → reject → them
The results were submitted to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday.
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results → submit → Wednesday
He will then hold two days of consultations with party leaders before choosing the candidate best placed to form a coalition.
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He → hold → coalition
In a break from custom, The Times of Israel reported that President Herzog will meet with the smaller parties first, starting with Religious Zionism, followed by Shas and Yisrael Beytenu.
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Herzog → report → Shas
It’s expected the remaining factions will meet with the President on Thursday, ending with Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar and, finally, Likud.
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factions → expect → Yashar
The Netanyahu-led bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s got 48, and the Arab-led parties Ra’am and the Joint List secured a record 19.
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parties → lead → record
Neither could attain the majority – 61 seats – needed to govern.
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Neither → attain → majority
The deadlock raises the possibility of a unity government or an alliance between Eisenkot and Arab-led parties.
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deadlock → raise → Eisenkot
If no one is able to form a governing coalition, Israel would hold another election early next year.
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Israel → form → election
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said the Democrats’ victory in the US Congress in the midterm elections had ruled out a unity government led by Netanyahu, a close ally of President Donald Trump.
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victory → say → Trump
“Israel cannot afford to let him remain prime minister,” Lapid wrote on X.
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Lapid → afford → X.
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