While Netanyahu’s bloc starts closer to that threshold, it is seen as unlikely that he could make a deal with the Arab parties and, even if they were willing to back him, that he could do so without losing the support of the far-right Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties and their combined 13 seats.
The decision is set to be confirmed in the coming hours after the Central Elections Committee (CEC) ratified the official results despite Likud’s claims of voter fraud within the Arab-Israeli community.
Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the committee, presented the result to Herzog on Wednesday morning after it was confirmed by majority vote, with Likud and Shas members abstaining.
“In recent days, we have heard voices trying to cast doubt on the election results and to undermine their legitimacy. This is a real danger,” he said.
“One of the foundations of democracy is the ability to have a peaceful transfer of power. This stems from the understanding that the will of the electorate obligates us all.”
He also referenced Likud’s allegations of fraud and the ongoing Shin Bet investigation, saying: “At the moment, they are only suspicions, but even if they are confirmed the extent of their possible impact is limited.
“Therefore, it is not possible to not publish the election results that were conducted and extend the term of the Knesset which has ended its term.”
Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, chairman of the Central Elections Committee, presents the official results of the 26th Knesset elections to President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on November 4, 2026 (Flash90)Flash90
His remarks struck a different tone from Shin Bet’s statement on the progress of the investigation hours earlier, in which the security agency said it had received evidence of “widespread” foreign interference in the election.
“Information collected so far indicates that foreign financing and influence activities involving enormous sums of money are a widespread phenomenon affecting thousands of people, possibly even more,” it said in findings presented to the CEC.
“The intelligence presented by the service's professional staff indicates prima facie widespread transfers of large sums of money into Israel from foreign countries, originating from parties with hidden and even hostile interests, intended to promote foreign influence.
“At this stage, we must complete additional intelligence gathering and investigative measures to obtain information that will allow us to connect the dots and determine the extent of the phenomenon with a high degree of certainty and confidence.”
The agency did not name the foreign power under suspicion, but it has been widely reported in Hebrew media that investigators are examining potential Qatari involvement.
Following unconfirmed reports that the Shin Bet is seeking to question four Arab-Israeli politicians in connection with the case, the Joint List issued a statement condemning the agency’s director, David Zini, accusing him of bias in favour of Netanyahu.
“Netanyahu is clinging to power and trying to delegitimize the Arab public, which turned out in droves to vote against his government,” the party said.
“Zini, who was appointed by Netanyahu, is acting as a political arm in his service.
“We will not allow Netanyahu and Zini to turn the votes of hundreds of thousands of Arab citizens into a security threat and their elected representatives into suspects.”
Amid the row, Herzog accepted the results and condemned what he described as “coarse” and “racist” rhetoric aimed at Arab-Israelis.
“There is no place for them toward any community in Israel,” he said.
“I have full confidence in the work of the Shin Bet, the Israel Police, and the law enforcement authorities. Any suspicion of subversive foreign interference in the election results must be fully investigated by the Shin Bet and the police.”
