Netanyahu's Likud moves to challenge entire Israeli election result

Likud isn't accepting the outcome. The party is preparing to appeal Israel's Oct. 27 election results in their entirety and push for a fresh vote, Hebrew media reported Sunday, with attorney Ilan Bombach handling the challenge in District Court, according to Channel 12 News. The party's central claim centers on voter-mobilization apps used in the Arab community.

That argument already got a hearing — and a rejection. Israel's Central Elections Committee certified the results Wednesday, saying it had gone through every complaint and review request from parties, candidate lists and the public. Its conclusion: no evidence of irregularities that damaged the election's integrity or changed its outcome.

The numbers explain the fight. Likud came out as the biggest single party with 27 seats, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc landed just 53 of the Knesset's 120 — short of a majority. Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc took 48 seats, with Arab parties holding 19.

On Saturday night, Netanyahu called for a unity government, while President Isaac Herzog announced he would task Yashar leader Eisenkot with forming the next government. The ceremony is set for 5 p.m. Sunday at the President's Residence in Jerusalem and will be broadcast live, Herzog's office said.

The recommendations pointed one way. Factions totaling 67 Knesset members backed Eisenkot during consultations that wrapped Thursday, including the Arab-majority Joint List and Ra'am. Factions totaling 46 lawmakers backed Netanyahu, and the seven-seat United Torah Judaism party recommended no one.

Herzog said he pressed faction representatives with hard questions to shake loose entrenched thinking, and warned the path to a government is not entirely clear given mutual vetoes between and inside the blocs. He promised to leave no stone unturned for a stable government. Once formally tasked, Eisenkot gets 28 days to build one, with Herzog able to add up to 14 more.