Israel president urges compromise after divisive election
AI generated
JERUSALEM –
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AI → urge → election
Israel’s president on Nov 4 urged political leaders to compromise in forming a government after an election he said had no clear winner and condemned “racist” rhetoric against Arab parties.
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he → urge → parties
More than a week after Israel’s first election since the trauma of the Oct 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, President Isaac Herzog was beginning consultations with party leaders as he decides whether to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or his rival Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form a government in the deeply polarised country.
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he → begin → country
With neither bloc holding a majority in the 120-seat parliament after the Oct 27 vote, Herzog said both sides needed to accept that “not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled” and to avoid new elections.
“In the current reality, in which there is no clear winner after the elections, I ask for originality and creativity, courage and goodwill, so that the State of Israel emerges the winner,” Herzog said as he formally received the election results.
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he → hold → results
The election saw soaring support for lists from the Arab minority, descendants of Palestinians who stayed in Israel after its 1948 creation and who have largely been outraged by the harsh rhetoric and actions of Netanyahu’s hard-right government.
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who → see → government
Netanyahu has gone on the offensive against Arab-majority lists, who have the power to put Eisenkot in power if they team up.
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they → go → power
Netanyahu has pointed to the arrests of several people with envelopes of cash on election day in what authorities called localised incidents and accused leaders of accepting money from Qatar, an allegation also levelled against the prime minister’s own aides.
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authorities → point → aides
Without naming any leader, Herzog, whose role is usually ceremonial, said he had “great respect” for the Arab minority, which makes up around 20% of Israel’s population.
“I condemn the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently.
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we → name → that
There is no place for them toward any community in Israel,” Herzog said.
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Herzog → be → Israel
No evidence found
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evidence → find → ?
The Central Elections Committee said it had conducted an audit of 9,069 polling stations following complaints and found no evidence that would question the results’ integrity.
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that → say → integrity
Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the committee, said authorities would keep investigating allegations but that they would not fundamentally change the results.
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they → head → results
Warning not to erode democracy, Sohlberg said, “There is one thing on which we must agree: election results, as lawfully determined, are binding on us all.”
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results → warn → us
The election committee, which reflects the makeup of the outgoing parliament, formally approved the results with 15 members in favour and two against but 14 others abstaining.
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others → reflect → favour
Itamar Ben Gvir, the ultranationalist national security minister known for his provocative calls for Palestinian suffering, said his party did not accept the results and he urged the arrest of Arab-Israeli party leaders.
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he → know → leaders
Eisenkot, a former military chief trying to unite centrists and the centre-right and turn the page on Netanyahu’s long, divisive reign, has accused the prime minister’s Likud party of attempting a “pogrom against democracy”.
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Eisenkot → try → democracy
Buoyed by US elections
Eisenkot had earlier warned Netanyahu against launching a new war with his close ally US President Donald Trump against Iran, which could help the Israeli prime minister push for a unity government or to run out the clock until new elections.
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minister → buoy → elections
Opposition lawmakers said the Nov 3 midterm elections in the United States, in which Democrats trounced Trump’s Republicans, reinforced the need to remove Netanyahu.
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Democrats → say → Netanyahu
Democrats have vowed a tougher line on Israel amid outrage over the devastation wrought by the war in Gaza.
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Democrats → vow → Gaza
Trump said as voting was underway that he had agreed with Netanyahu to end nearly US$4 billion (S$5.1 billion) in annual US military aid to Israel by the end of 2026.
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he → say → 2026
“The continued tenure of Netanyahu and Ben Gvir could lead Israel down a path of international sanctions, international isolation and a clash with the US, our friend and most important ally,” said Yair Golan, who heads the most left-wing party within the opposition bloc.
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who → lead → bloc
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister who has been in power on and off for nearly two decades, has called for a “broad national government” – with himself at the top.
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who → serve → top
He faces corruption charges that could land him in jail if he leaves office.
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he → face → office
Herzog’s statements have raised speculation that he could sound out leaders on a possible unity government, but Eisenkot and his allies have ruled that out.
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Eisenkot → raise → that
Herzog will hold an initial two days of consultations and then give a contender 28 days to form a government, with a potential 14-day extension.
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Herzog → hold → extension
It took Netanyahu, who at the time had a better showing by Likud, 58 days to form a government after the last election in November 2022.
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who → take → November
Israel held five elections between 2019 and 2022 after repeated deadlocks.
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Israel → hold → deadlocks
The Aporia
