Israeli President Urges Openness to Prevent New Elections
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
President Isaac Herzog urged political parties to engage in government formation talks with open minds to prevent further elections. He will officially receive election results next week before beginning consultations. Preliminary results show the Likud party as the largest with 26 seats, and the Netanyahu bloc projected to have 53 seats. Benjamin Netanyahu called for a strong right-wing government, while Gush Etzion deemed new elections a mistake.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- President Isaac Herzog called for open-minded consultations to avoid new elections.
- Preliminary results show Likud as the largest party with 26 seats.
- The Netanyahu bloc is projected to secure 53 seats.
- Benjamin Netanyahu advocated for a strong right-wing government.
- Gush Etzion stated that holding new elections would be a mistake.
President Isaac Herzog called on political factions to enter government formation consultations with an open mind, emphasizing the need to avoid another round of elections. "One thing must be understood, and I already said this before the elections, everything must be done, certainly after yesterday, to not repeat additional elections," Herzog stated at an event at the Presidential Residence. He expressed his expectation that all parties would approach the consultations with a "open mind."
Hersog announced he would receive the official election results next week from the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, after which he will begin the consultation process. "I will hear every faction, we will ask questions and hold discussions," he added.
Reflecting on election day, the President described it as "very impressive," noting an "enormous voter turnout" for the first time in decades. He considered this a "badge of honor for Israeli society, and it shows how significant the desire for democracy in Israel is."
Preliminary results indicate the Likud party is the largest with 26 seats after counting 85.6% of the votes. Yesh Atid follows with 21 seats, and United Torah Judaism with 12. The Netanyahu bloc is projected to have 53 seats, while the Gush Etzion bloc has 48. Other parties include Democrats with eight seats, and Yahadut HaTorah, Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, and Shas each with seven seats. Religious Zionism-Identity is expected to secure six seats. Arab parties collectively hold 19 seats, with the Joint List at 12 and Ra'am at seven.
Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the Likud headquarters, stated the need to form a "strong national right-wing government." Gush Etzion, in his first speech, called it a "mistake to go to additional elections."
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