Symbolic imageElection committee rejects fraud claims as Herzog opens government talks
Israel's Central Elections Committee certified the 27 October results on Wednesday, dismissing Netanyahu's fraud claims. President Herzog began consulting parties on who should try to form a government.
The committee said its review found no evidence of irregularities that compromised the vote. Likud and Shas abstained, and Likud is weighing an appeal. Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, the opposition 48 and the Arab parties 19. In the first round, the Religious Zionist Party, Shas and Zehut recommended Netanyahu, while Yisrael Beytenu backed Gadi Eisenkot. Consultations end Thursday evening, and The Guardian expects Herzog to name Eisenkot, whom Ra'am said late Wednesday it would recommend.
Shin Bet row
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said she blocked a Shin Bet demand to interrogate politicians from Arab-led parties because she had seen no evidence. Committee chair Noam Sohlberg said the foreign-funding suspicions remain only suspicions and do not cast doubt on Arab voting.
Opposition seeks Netanyahu's exit
Yair Lapid said the Democrats' US midterm win and the Shin Bet dispute rule out a unity government under Netanyahu. Eisenkot calls him a caretaker prime minister backed by only 46 lawmakers.
Other opinions
The Jerusalem Post gives space to Likud's objections and the Shin Bet's foreign-money claims, while The Guardian reports Eisenkot accusing Netanyahu of weaponising security services.