Israel's President Accepts Certified Election Results

Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepted the certified election results on Wednesday and announced plans to consult with elected parties about forming a new government.

Neither the party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor that of his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, secured a parliamentary majority, prompting ongoing negotiations with smaller parties.

The election commission stated it found no fraud in the recent vote, countering Netanyahu's repeated unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties had stolen the election with foreign help.

The acting director of the elections committee, Dean Livne, confirmed that all complaints were thoroughly reviewed but found no evidence to support allegations of invalid election results.

A separate investigation by the Shin Bet intelligence service into foreign interference allegations is ongoing, though the committee maintains it does not believe such interference affected the election outcome.

Following the certification of results, Herzog will meet with elected parties to select a candidate for forming a coalition government, potentially leading to weeks of political negotiations.