Israeli president begins coalition talks after accepting election results

Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepted the certified results of last week's parliamentary elections as legally binding on Wednesday and began consultations with party representatives to form a new government, undermining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to discredit the vote. The elections commission found no evidence of fraud after investigating all parties' claims, though a Shin Bet intelligence assessment cited a "widespread phenomenon" of foreign funds entering Israel, without providing evidence. Herzog warned against casting doubt on the results, saying public trust is "easy to destroy, yet very difficult to repair." Netanyahu and his allies lost their parliamentary majority in the October 27 vote, while Arab-led parties made historic gains. Herzog will choose a candidate, likely Netanyahu or rival Gadi Eisenkot, to attempt coalition-building, with a new election possible early next year if neither succeeds.