Isaac Herzog received on Wednesday 4 November the official results of the Israeli elections on 27 October. The President of the Central Electoral Commission, Judge Noam Sohlberg, handed them over to him in Jerusalem. This step precedes party consultations on the formation of the next government. Neither of the two major blocks has the majority in the Knesset.
Official Results: Herzog Receives Certified Voting
Remission marks a concrete change in the political calendar. Until Wednesday morning, it remained announced. It has now taken place, according to consistent reports from an Israeli press agency and the press. The Presidency devoted an official broadcast to this ceremony.
The Commission had approved the results in the morning. The president will now hear the elected formations before appointing a deputy to try to form a coalition. Receiving the results therefore does not mean that a candidate has already obtained this mandate.
A separate electoral control from the Shin Bet investigation
The committee also announced on Wednesday the conclusions of its control of voting operations. It states that it has reviewed the minutes of 9,069 offices and the claims received. According to her press release, she did not identify any evidence of an infringement of the integrity of the poll or of a change in its results.
This conclusion concerns electoral verification. It does not constitute the closure of the Shin Bet’s separate investigation into suspected foreign interference. The accusations made by Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies against the Arab formations remain contested. They do not become established facts solely because of the existence of investigations.
Consultations before a candidate is selected
The balance of power remains unchanged: the Netanyahu block has 53 seats, that of Gadi Eisenkot 48. Arab formations hold 19. An absolute majority requires 61 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The addition of groups opposed to Netanyahu alone is not a government agreement.
Presidential consultations are scheduled to begin on Wednesday with small groups and continue on Thursday, 5 November. The announced calendar begins with religious Zionism, Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu. The president will ask delegations which MP they recommend to form a government.
The official presentation of the Presidential powers recalls that this designation follows the consultation of parliamentary groups. The legal period shall run for seven days from the publication of the results. The recommendation of the parties and the choice of the president thus constitute a separate stage of the coalition negotiations.
The first Member-designate then has 28 days to form a government. The President may grant an extension of up to 14 additional days. At this stage, the formal recommendations of delegations and Herzog’s decision remain to come.
Sources and references
- Associated Press, delivery of certified results to Isaac Herzog, updated on November 4, 2026.
- The Jerusalem Post, presentation of results and schedule of consultations, 4 November 2026.
- Israeli Presidency, official retransmission of the ceremony of 4 November 2026.
- AFP, conclusions of the Central Electoral Commission control, 4 November 2026.
- Israeli Presidency, powers and procedure of government formation.
- Libnanews, dispute over evidence in election investigation, November 4, 2026.
- Archive photo: Joshua Paquin, Knesset, 5 June 2005; perspective corrected by Berthold Werner.Source file,CC BY 2.0. Assembling Libnanews: resized full photograph, text added out of image.
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