Israel certifies election results as Herzog begins coalition talks

Israel’s Central Elections Committee certified the results of the October 27 parliamentary election on November 4, saying its review found no vote-counting irregularities that undermined the outcome. President Isaac Herzog began consultations with party leaders the same day, as neither political bloc had the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. The committee said it reviewed records from 9,069 polling stations and found no evidence that compromised the election’s integrity or changed its results. The full committee approved certification by 15 votes to two, with 14 members abstaining. Its review addressed the accuracy of the count, not whether foreign actors had separately tried to influence voters or political organisations. That question remains under investigation. The Shin Bet told the committee that preliminary intelligence suggested foreign funding or influence efforts potentially involving thousands of people, and said further investigative work was needed. The agency has not established whether suspected activity affected the election. Committee chairman Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg said the allegations should be examined, but the ongoing inquiry did...