Israeli election commission finds no fraud, undercutting Netanyahu's claim

Israel's election commission has said it found no evidence of fraud in last week's parliamentary election.

The finding undercuts claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had sought to cast doubt on the results.

Netanyahu and his supporters had accused Arab-led parties of influencing voters with foreign help, but they have not produced evidence for the claim.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the commission said it had found no irregularities affecting the fairness or outcome of the election.

According to acting director Dean Livne, every complaint was investigated separately and in detail, and the result reflects voters' true will.

A commission spokesperson said the intelligence agency Shin Bet is separately investigating the allegations of foreign interference.

Commission chief Noam Sohlberg said that even if the suspicions were confirmed, the overall result would not change.

According to the election results, Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition has not won a majority in parliament. The opposition group led by Gadi Eisenkot also lacks the required majority.

After the results are formally certified on Wednesday, President Isaac Herzog will hold two days of consultations with the elected parties, after which he will task either Netanyahu or Eisenkot with forming a coalition government.

If neither side manages to form a government, a fresh election could be held early next year.