Certified and Contested: Israel's Hung Parliament Heads to Herzog's Table

Israel's election commission has certified the results of the country's general election, confirming a hung parliament with no party or bloc able to form a majority government. The results, announced on Wednesday, show that the right-wing Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, won the most seats, with 32, followed by the centrist Yesh Atid party, led by Yair Lapid, with 24. The far-right Religious Zionism party won 14 seats, while the left-wing Meretz party failed to win any seats.

The certified results mean that President Isaac Herzog will now begin consultations with the leaders of all the parties elected to the Knesset, in order to determine who should be given the mandate to form a government. The president will meet with the party leaders over the coming days, and he is expected to announce his decision next week. The leader who is given the mandate will have 28 days to form a government, with a possible extension of 14 days.

The election was the fifth in less than four years, and it was called after the previous government, a broad coalition led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, collapsed in June. The election was seen as a referendum on Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption and who has been accused of seeking to undermine the country's democratic institutions. Netanyahu has denied the charges, and he has vowed to form a stable government that will serve all Israelis.

The results have been contested by some parties, with the left-wing Meretz party calling for a recount and the Arab Joint List accusing the election commission of irregularities. The election commission has rejected the claims, saying that the results are accurate and that the election was conducted fairly. The commission has also said that it will investigate any specific allegations of fraud or irregularities.

The hung parliament means that the formation of a government will be a complex and difficult process, with no party able to form a majority on its own. Netanyahu will need the support of the far-right Religious Zionism party and the ultra-Orthodox parties to form a government, while Lapid will need the support of the Arab parties and the left-wing parties. The negotiations are expected to be long and difficult, and there is a real possibility that Israel will face a sixth election in less than four years.

The international community has reacted to the results with caution, with the United States saying that it will work with any government that is formed and the European Union calling for a government that is committed to peace and democracy. The results are a reminder of the deep divisions within Israeli society, and of the challenges facing the country's political system. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining the future direction of the country.

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