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Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged party leaders to come together with an open mind following Tuesday's general election, emphasising that political leaders must make every effort to avoid dragging the country into another round of elections.
Speaking during a gathering with participants of the "Exchanging a Word" (Switching a Word) initiative at the Presidents Residence in Jerusalem, Herzog praised the electorate for turning out in large numbers, calling the high participation a testament to the nation's democratic values. "Election day yesterday was a very impressive election day," Herzog remarked. "For the first time in decades, there was a tremendous voter turnout. This is a badge of honor for Israeli society. It was very impressive; it made me very happy, and it shows how significant the desire for democracy in Israel is." Addressing the official process ahead, the President noted that formal coalition consultations will begin once the final vote tallies are submitted by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the Central Elections Committee. "I will receive the official results next week," Herzog explained. "We will wait for the official election results next week; Justice Sohlberg will present the official results to me. After that, I will begin the consultation process here. I will listen to each and every faction, ask questions, and hold discussions." Herzog issued a strong caution against political gridlock, reminding lawmakers of the necessity to form a stable government rather than forcing a political stalemate. "One thing must be understood, and I already said this before the elections: everything must be done, certainly after yesterday, not to return to another round of elections," Herzog warned. "And I expect everyone who comes here to arrive with an open mind." Sharing his remarks in a post on X, Herzog captioned, "The impressive voter turnout yesterday is a badge of honor for Israeli society and indicates just how significant the desire for democracy in Israel is. Next week, I will invite the representatives of the factions to consultations ahead of assigning the mandate to form the next government. With the publication of the results, I ask one important thing from everyone who arrivesarrive with an open mind." https://x.com/Isaac_Herzog/status/2115438649567322578 The President's remarks come as initial vote counts indicate a tight division between competing parliamentary factions in the 120-seat Knesset, setting up potentially complex coalition negotiations once the official results are delivered. Pollster Direct Polls projected 55 seats for the Netanyahu bloc, 49 for the Gadi Eisenkot-led opposition bloc and 16 for the Arab parties. In its updated exit poll, Kan 11, an Israeli state-owned, free-to-air television channel, projects that the pro-Netanyahu bloc and the anti-Netanyahu bloc each hold 51 seats, compared with 50 and 52 seats, respectively, in its previous poll at 11:04 pm (local time), as reported by The Times of Israel. Another poll from agency Filber and presented by Channel 14 projected 60 seats for the Netanyahu bloc, 43 for the opposition and 17 for the Arab parties. The latest seat adjustments show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party moving to 27 seats from 25, the left-wing alliance The Democrats shifting to nine seats from 10, and the far-right Otzma Yehudit party moving to six seats from seven. Amid these shifting parliamentary numbers, Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Raam party, has indicated that he is in contact with representatives from both the pro- and anti-Netanyahu factions after exit polls indicated that neither camp holds a clear majority to form a government. He noted that "currently there aren't numbers for a government", pointing out that his party's projected seven seats leave the broader opposition bloc two seats short of the 61-seat threshold required to form a coalition. (ANI)
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