Herzog Accepts Certified Vote as Fraud Probes Continue

President Isaac Herzog accepted the official results of the October 27 election on Wednesday, formally ending the certification phase of the parliamentary vote. The acceptance occurred at the President’s Residence following a procedural vote by the Central Election Committee. Although two active investigations into electoral irregularities remain open, the committee declared the vote valid and published the findings in the state gazette.

The path to certification involved a specific sequence of procedural steps. First, the committee’s five-member presidium reviewed the protocols and approved the results for ratification. Representatives from the outgoing coalition abstained during this preliminary stage. Subsequently, the full committee convened for a plenum vote. The 15 opposition bloc representatives voted to approve the results. The 14 outgoing coalition representatives abstained again, while two members of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party voted against certification.

The certification process proceeded despite intense scrutiny from law enforcement and intelligence agencies. A joint probe by the Shin Bet and Mossad is examining intelligence that suggests funds from Qatar and other nations reached the Joint List of Arab parties through disguised donations. A separate police investigation is looking into allegations of vote-buying in the Negev region. The Shin Bet reported to the committee that its intelligence indicated widespread foreign funding and influence operations involving thousands of individuals. The agency noted that the money appeared to come from actors with concealed or hostile interests, though no public evidence currently shows that this activity changed the final vote count.

Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg addressed the controversy during the ceremony. He warned that casting doubt on the official results posed a real danger to Israel’s democracy. Sohlberg emphasized that a peaceful transfer of power is a foundational element of democratic systems. He noted that even if suspicions of fraud in the Arab community were proven true, the extent of the alleged wrongdoing would likely be insufficient to alter the final election outcome. The committee also announced that its review of protocols from 9,069 polling stations found no irregularities that compromised the integrity of the vote.

Political reactions to the findings have been divided. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the arrest of Arab party leaders for questioning. He demanded an immediate freeze on the certification process, arguing that the election was stolen. In contrast, Likud MK Amit Halevi resigned from the committee. Halevi stated that the body should certify the choice of citizens rather than foreign rulers.

President Herzog expressed full confidence in the law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating the claims. He condemned what he described as coarse and racist rhetoric directed at Arab Israelis during the political discourse. Herzog urged all political factions to find compromises in their campaign commitments to form a government and avoid the need for new elections given the current political deadlock. He called for creativity and goodwill to resolve the stalemate.

The next step in the constitutional process begins with presidential consultations. Herzog is expected to meet with Knesset factions to determine who will receive the mandate to form a government. The designated leader will have up to 42 days to build a coalition. The results are now legally binding, and the government formation clock has started.