Israel's Herzog urges compromise as Netanyahu and Eisenkot vie to form government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged compromise Wednesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Gadi Eisenkot compete to form a government after a divisive election, with Netanyahu alleging foreign interference despite certified results. Herzog accepted the election results as valid, undermining Netanyahu's fraud claims after his religious-nationalist bloc lost its parliamentary majority. Eisenkot, endorsed by Arab party Raam, vowed to deepen U.S.-Israel ties, while Netanyahu accused foreign states of influencing the vote. The Central Elections Committee audited 9,069 polling stations and found no evidence of fraud. Herzog warned against new elections, urging unity, as Arab parties gained historic support and U.S. midterm results raised pressure on Netanyahu's leadership.