Israel's president takes first steps on building new government after accepting election results

Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepted the certified results of the recent parliamentary elections on Wednesday, marking the onset of consultations with party representatives to form a new government. The elections saw Arab-led parties achieving historic gains, while Netanyahu's Likud party lost its majority in the Knesset. Herzog emphasized the need to face the reality of the election outcome, dismissing Netanyahu's unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.

The elections commission found no evidence of irregularities affecting the election results, and a separate Shin Bet intelligence service investigation, led by a Netanyahu appointee, remains ongoing without presenting evidence. The Shin Bet's assessment suggested a "widespread phenomenon" involving significant foreign funding, but without substantiation.

Herzog stressed the importance of maintaining public trust in the electoral process, warning against casting doubt on the results. The elections committee's head, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, reiterated that while suspicions of foreign interference are serious, they do not impact the validity of the election.