Israel’s Herzog accepts election results, begins coalition talks

Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepted the certified results of last week's parliamentary elections and began consultations with party leaders on forming a new government, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to discredit the vote. Netanyahu's coalition and his rival Gadi Eisenkot's bloc failed to secure the 61 seats needed to govern, winning 53 and 48 respectively, while Arab-led parties made historic gains with 19 seats. Herzog urged compromise, saying "the elections are over. Now is the time to face reality." Israel's elections commission found "no evidence of irregularities" after investigating fraud claims, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected a request to question officials without evidence. Herzog condemned racist expressions toward Palestinian-Israeli voters, who make up about 20 percent of the population.