Israel election body rejects Netanyahu fraud claims, confirms final vote results

Israel's election commission on Wednesday confirmed final results from the 27 October vote, rejecting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims of mass fraud after his far-right coalition lost its governing majority. The commission found no evidence of irregularities compromising the election's integrity. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara blocked a Shin Bet demand to interrogate senior politicians from Palestinian-led parties, citing a lack of evidence. Challenger Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of launching a "pogrom against democracy" by discrediting valid votes and weaponizing security forces against political opponents. Election results were presented to President Isaac Herzog, who condemned racist attacks on Palestinian citizens and is expected to name Eisenkot to form a coalition as early as Thursday. Analysts warned of potential further attempts to undermine election trust, with Netanyahu having run a racist campaign targeting Palestinian citizens, about 20% of the population.