Israel's attorney general rebukes Netanyahu's party over election delay demands

Israel's attorney general has publicly rebuked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party over its demands to delay official election results pending security investigations, defending the integrity of the electoral process. The rare statement comes amid escalating tensions between Netanyahu's Likud party and Arab political factions. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated that investigations cannot be opened without evidence, and that the Shin Bet security agency has not provided any material to support fraud allegations. Likud has accused her of obstruction, while opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot called the party's actions a "pogrom against democracy." President Isaac Herzog begins consultations Wednesday to select a candidate to form a government. The opposition bloc, holding 48 seats versus Netanyahu's 53, is divided on whether to ally with Arab parties, whose record 19 seats could provide the needed majority. The Unified List's leader has offered external support for an anti-Netanyahu government.