Israel's president urges 'open mind' as election rivals struggle for majority

Israel's President Isaac Herzog is calling on the nation's politicians to have an "open mind" when trying to form a new government, with the vote count continuing to deliver an inconclusive result from Tuesday's election.Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's likely coalition or the so-called "change" camp led by former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief Gadi Eisenkot have secured enough votes to govern with a majority.Arab-Israeli parties have surged off the back of high voter turnout from the regularly marginalised population, putting the two groups in the role of potential kingmakers in coalition negotiations.Most leading opposition figures had previously ruled out forming a coalition with the Arab parties, while Mr Netanyahu is now accusing them of stealing the election.By 5pm on Wednesday in Jerusalem (1am AEDT Thursday), Israeli media outlets were reporting more than 85 per cent of ballots had been counted across the country.The results at that point put Mr Netanyahu's Likud party as the largest in the next parliament, securing 26 seats.Earlier in the day, the figures suggested Likud would reach 28 — the adjustment is a result of Israel's electoral system awarding seats in the Knesset based on the proportion a party receives of the national vote, and a greater number of ballots having been counted.Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, has been Benjamin Netanyahu's main opponent in the election. (Reuters: Shir Torem)Mr Eisenkot's Yashar party, which was contesting an Israeli election for the first time, was on track to reach 21 seats.When combining the mandates awarded to Mr Netanyahu's likely partners, which include two ultra-Orthodox parties and the far-right parties led by sanctioned ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, the prime minister's coalition would reach 53 seats.The anti-Netanyahu parties reach 48 seats without including the Arab-Israeli parties, the Joint List and the United Arab List, which are on track to hold 19 seats between them.The calculations mean that neither Mr Netanyahu nor any of the "change" camp leaders can govern in a majority in their own right, falling short of the 61 seats needed to do so.'Come with an open mind'During remarks in Jerusalem, Mr Herzog said he would receive the official election results next week and encourage the party leaders to start negotiations from there."I will hear from each and every faction, ask questions and hold discussions," he said."There is only one thing that must be understood, and I said this before the election: we must do everything possible, certainly after yesterday, not to return to another election."I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind."Isaac Herzog is expected to invite various leaders to attempt to form a majority coalition government. (Reuters: Bernadett Szabo)His comments were somewhat pointed given the rejection of Arab-Israeli parties as viable coalition partners by multiple political leaders prior to the election, including Mr Eisenkot.Yair Golan, the leader of the left-wing Democrats, implored his anti-Netanyahu camp colleagues to look beyond ideology and chase a result that ensures the prime minister is ousted."We have no future here if we don't stop being afraid. And if we don't stop with the racism," the former IDF deputy chief said on X."We must no longer accept Netanyahu's racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes."Mr Golan said the voice of Israeli citizens in Arab-majority cities was worth exactly the same as those in Jewish-Israeli communities."Anyone who tries to erase the voices of Arab citizens is surrendering to Netanyahu and giving up on Israel," he said.The leader of the Joint List, Yousef Jabareen, said his party, which was on track to secure 12 seats, was ready for negotiations."We are ready and prepared to pave the way for the ousting of the Netanyahu government," he posted on X."Against a government of bloodshed, against a politics of supremacy, racism, and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative."The change comes through Jewish-Arab partnership, a true and equal partnership. No less than that, and no more than that."Following initial negotiations between parties, Mr Herzog will decide which leader has the best chance of forming government within a 42-day deadline. Netanyahu claims election 'stolen'Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed the election was "stolen". (Reuters: Ammar Awad)Mr Netanyahu had spent much of the campaign railing against the Arab-Israeli parties, trying to drum up opposition to the parties among his own voter base and the broader Jewish-Israeli population.One of his campaign slogans was "right or Palestine", saying his opponents would work with the Arab-Israeli parties to undermine the country's social fabric.That rhetoric continued on Wednesday."The elections in the State of Israel have been stolen by Arab parties who support terrorism and the annihilation of the Jewish state through serious criminal acts of corruption, threats, violence, falsehoods and the use of prohibited software to encourage voters to vote," Mr Netanyahu's Likud party said in a statement.It said it was submitting testimonies and evidence to electoral authorities.The outstanding votes to be counted are likely to include what are referred to as "double envelope" ballots, which are votes cast by Israeli diplomats around the world and serving Israeli soldiers — the only two groups of Israeli citizens allowed to vote before polling day and away from the country.Some commentary suggests the serving IDF personnel could push support towards the right-wing parties.