Israel's election commission finds no fraud in last week's vote, dealing a blow to Netanyahu's claims it was 'stolen'
Israel's election commission acting director Dean Livne said every complaint was examined individually and thoroughly, but none supported claims the results were invalid.Change Bloc's 48 certified seats left it short of the 61 needed for a majority, while Arab parties secured a historic 19 seats.
Israel's election watchdog declared the results of last week's vote valid after examining every complaint "individually and thoroughly," finding no irregularities that "compromised the integrity of the election or affected its results." President Isaac Herzog accepted the certified results on Wednesday morning and is now expected to begin two days of consultations with party leaders before choosing who to task with forming a government. Eisenkot is widely expected to get the first chance, as Arab parties holding 19 seats are seen as more likely to back him than Netanyahu.
Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats to Eisenkot's 48, with 61 needed for a majority — leaving neither side with a clear path to government.
Netanyahu had repeatedly claimed Arab-led parties "stole" the election; the commission's acting director Dean Livne said the results "accurately reflect the choices voters made at the ballot box."
A separate Shin Bet probe into alleged foreign interference in the vote remains ongoing.
