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00:00:32And now we are moving to the President's residence, where at this very moment
00:00:35the President of the State is receiving the election results from the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee,
00:00:39Judge Solberg. Here:
00:00:42I am excited and honored to present you with the results of the elections
00:00:45for the Knesset. Behind the numbers, the mandates, the distribution
00:00:49of seats in the Knesset, stand people, many
00:00:52many, tens of thousands of citizens
00:00:55from all parts of Israeli society,
00:00:58who have been active in the past few weeks. Especially on Election Day
00:01:01itself, to enable all of us to exercise the most
00:01:05basic democratic right, to elect our
00:01:07representatives. There is something special about this human encounter,
00:01:11in polling stations across the country, representatives of different factions sat
00:01:15side by side, sometimes factions whose disagreements are very
00:01:18deep. This pairing is not accidental, from the outset
00:01:22it was designed to allow representatives of the factions to oversee
00:01:25each other, to ensure the integrity of the elections,
00:01:29but in practice. It also obliges them to talk to each other, to work
00:01:32together, to get to know each other, to overcome difficulties
00:01:35like his absence, to overcome difficulties and to cooperate,
00:01:38for what purpose? To fulfill a common mission
00:01:41that lies at the foundation of our shared lives,
00:01:44the holding of elections. We don't need to look far to find
00:01:48more examples of such partnership, we know them from the IDF,
00:01:51from reserve soldiers and their families,
00:01:55from hospitals and many other places where
00:01:59people meet. From all parts of society and work together
00:02:02for a common goal. Even
00:02:05the officials at the polling stations provided us with such an encounter:
00:02:08fraternity. There is something hopeful about this
00:02:12for the future. However, it cannot
00:02:14be denied. This partnership does not blur
00:02:18the disagreements. They exist, they are deep and they concern the fundamental
00:02:22questions of our lives here. We are not
00:02:25required to agree with each other, on the contrary, elections are
00:02:29the way we have chosen to manage these disagreements, not by force
00:02:32of arms, but by a ballot paper in the ballot box, each
00:02:36and every one of us hears them all, every vote counts, and every
00:02:40vote has equal weight, and from here,
00:02:42Sir, to the point that casts a shadow over the festive atmosphere and that we cannot
00:02:46ignore. In recent days, voices have been heard
00:02:50seeking to cast doubt on the election results and challenge
00:02:53their validity. This is a real danger.
00:02:57One of the secrets of democracy is the ability
00:03:00to change government peacefully, this stems from the
00:03:03understanding that the voters' decision binds
00:03:06all of us, without the fear of royalty, so
00:03:09our sages taught us, one would swallow his fellow
00:03:12alive, we would find ourselves in a state of nature
00:03:16where the stronger prevails, in order for us
00:03:19to maintain a shared government, everyone is required to respect
00:03:23the rules of the democratic game, this is
00:03:25how we have acted in the State of Israel since its establishment, bitter
00:03:28disagreements, struggles. Stormy politics, and sometimes even results
00:03:32that surprised many, all these did not prevent us from recognizing
00:03:36the voters' decision and acting accordingly. Everyone knew that
00:03:39the election results reflect the people's decision, which must
00:03:43be respected. We must not deviate from this path, which is at the foundation
00:03:47of our resilience as a democratic state. Indeed,
00:03:51suspicions have been raised, some serious. The suspicions require
00:03:54thorough investigation, and this is indeed happening. We announced
00:03:58this in the evening. All parties are working to get
00:04:02to the bottom of the truth, so as not to harm the efforts
00:04:05being made and not to expose secret information, I am
00:04:08unable to elaborate further. This morning we presented
00:04:11to the members of the Election Committee the summary of the intelligence picture, as it
00:04:15was passed on at my request from the head
00:04:17of the Shin Bet. It is important to emphasize that at this stage
00:04:20these are only suspicions, and even if they are confirmed, the scope
00:04:24of their possible impact is limited, also,
00:04:28it is not possible not to publish results of a Knesset
00:04:32that has completed its allotted term. The Basic Law: The Knesset
00:04:36establishes a rigid timetable for the publication
00:04:39of election results, and not without reason. Accordingly,
00:04:42the results are
00:04:44being published now on time. Naturally,
00:04:47if evidence emerges later, action can be taken
00:04:51through the legal channels, for this purpose, an election
00:04:54appeal.
00:05:01It is also important to emphasize: The suspicions do not cast doubt
00:05:04on the voting of members of the Arab sector in any way.
00:05:08High voter turnout is a blessed thing for every
00:05:11public and sector in Israeli society. The
00:05:14Central Elections Committee is responsible for conducting the elections, for the conduct
00:05:18in the polling committees, and for the integrity of the voting process.
00:05:21It is, of course, not an investigative or intelligence authority, and we do not have the tools
00:05:25to investigate suspicions of offenses. For this purpose,
00:05:28we transfer detailed complaints about various suspicions
00:05:31to the investigative authorities. The Central Elections Committee carried out
00:05:35last week the operation to monitor the integrity of the elections, which dealt with claims
00:05:38raised regarding conduct in polling stations. Verbal
00:05:41inquiries were checked, each inquiry was screened, whether it related to the election
00:05:45process itself, whether it was criminal or administrative. All
00:05:49polling station materials were checked, where
00:05:52a suspicion of an offense was found, whether in the complaints
00:05:55of the parties, or in the polling station materials, the complaints
00:05:58and evidence will be transferred to the investigative authorities,
00:06:01Shin Bet, police, the Privacy
00:06:04Protection Authority. We will follow up and ensure that the complaints are examined
00:06:08and investigated as appropriate. We place our
00:06:10trust in the head of the Shin Bet, in the Attorney General,
00:06:14in the Director General, in the head of the branch,
00:06:17and in their people, who did the work together as best
00:06:20they could. Public trust in the election process is a valuable
00:06:24asset, it is the responsibility of all of us to protect
00:06:28it, elected officials, office holders, and also each
00:06:31and every one of us, it is easy to destroy, very difficult
00:06:35to repair. Political disagreement should not end with
00:06:38the counting of votes, it will continue, and it is
00:06:41good that it does, but on one thing we must agree, the election
00:06:44results, as determined by law,
00:06:47bind us all. Mr.
00:06:50President, perhaps a small lesson from this week's Torah portion, Parashat Chayei
00:06:53Sarah, towards the next stage that will begin in this very
00:06:56place. Two journeys and negotiations, about the purchase of the Cave
00:07:00of Machpelah and about the match of
00:07:03Rebecca to Isaac. Both, on the face of it,
00:07:06were hopeless. Great gaps at the beginning of the journey, the sons
00:07:10of Heth did not agree to give Abraham
00:07:16the Cave of Machpelah as a burial plot for generations, and sought to settle for a temporary solution for Sarah's burial. Laban the Aramean sought to delay Rebecca's
00:07:19marriage to Isaac for a whole year. In both
00:07:23cases, negotiation based on mutual understanding
00:07:26of needs led to agreements and good results.
00:07:30To the attention of all of us. Finally,
00:07:33I would like to thank the thousands of male and female employees, volunteers
00:07:36and all those who took part in the complex task of managing
00:07:40the elections. There is no match for the professionalism,
00:07:43diligence and sense of mission of the election committee staff, and especially Dean
00:07:47Livneh, he has done a lot, he knew how to navigate the ship through
00:07:50stormy waters. Thanks to the dedication and hard
00:07:53work of all these good people, we can
00:07:57stand here today. The election process, which I was responsible
00:08:01for managing, strengthened my recognition of our resilience,
00:08:04of our tendency towards good. We have brought before you its
00:08:07results, 5 million
00:08:09717,39.
00:08:12men and women went to vote, it is up to all of us to respect
00:08:16their decision. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Well
00:08:19done.
00:08:23Thank you, Your Honor, the President of the State, Isaac
00:08:26Herzog. Thank you, my honorable
00:08:30Judge Noam Solberg, Chairman of the Central
00:08:33Elections Committee. Thank you to my honorable lawyer, Dean
00:08:37Livne, acting Director General of the Central
00:08:39Elections Committee. Thank you to the Central
00:08:43Elections Committee, the party representatives who are here, to the committee
00:08:46staff, my esteemed colleagues all. I would like
00:08:50to begin my remarks by thanking you, my esteemed Judge
00:08:53Solberg, for leading the election campaign for the 26th
00:08:56Knesset, as Chairman of the Central
00:09:00Elections Committee, you have demonstrated leadership,
00:09:03integrity, clarity of thought, the
00:09:06people of Israel owe you a lot for
00:09:09this as well. Election Day last week
00:09:13took place thanks to the hard work of
00:09:16thousands of male and female employees under the committee
00:09:18led by you, conducted by the acting
00:09:22Director General of the committee, attorney Dean Livne, thank you,
00:09:26attorney Livne, and to all the teams, employees
00:09:30and representatives of the committee. You
00:09:32fulfilled your mission faithfully, professionally
00:09:36and thoroughly,
00:09:38despite warnings that elections might not be held,
00:09:42we saw last week a true celebration of
00:09:46democracy, Israeli citizens went
00:09:49in droves to polling stations across
00:09:52the country. Through you, my esteemed
00:09:56Judge, I would like to wholeheartedly thank
00:09:59everyone involved in the work, well
00:10:03done. I hereby receive the official
00:10:06results of the elections for the 26th
00:10:09Knesset, as you announced them.
00:10:12My esteemed Judge, I adopt them
00:10:15and confirm their reception according to law. I
00:10:19would like to address the investigation you
00:10:22referred to in your remarks. I have already
00:10:26said, and I repeat here, that I rely
00:10:29on the work of the Shin Bet, the police and the enforcement
00:10:31authorities. Any suspicion of external
00:10:35subversive influence on the election results must
00:10:38be investigated by the Shin Bet and by the police until
00:10:41its conclusion. We need patience. The investigation
00:10:45will be conducted professionally in cooperation with
00:10:49all parties in the special investigation team, and I trust
00:10:52these processes, as has been the custom
00:10:56for a long time. I respect the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini,
00:11:00and his work. I respect the Attorney General,
00:11:03Gali Baharav-Miara, and her work. I spoke
00:11:07with both of them this morning. Tension between
00:11:11the General Security Service and the Legal Counsel has existed
00:11:14in Israel and will continue to exist, and this is an inherent tension in a democratic
00:11:18state. The State of Israel is blessed
00:11:22with loyal and capable public servants. I
00:11:25trust them and their integrity,
00:11:28and I am convinced that they will know how to work together.
00:11:32Regarding the Arab community in Israel, I wish
00:11:36to reiterate and emphasize, it is forbidden to smear
00:11:40an entire community, beware
00:11:42of generalizations. I greatly respect the Arab
00:11:45community in Israel. I appreciate its contribution
00:11:49to the state in all areas of life, and its desire
00:11:52to integrate. This is a blessed thing.
00:11:55I denounce the rudeness and racist expressions
00:11:58we have heard recently, there is
00:12:01no place for this towards any community
00:12:04in Israel.
00:12:06My sisters and brothers, citizens of Israel,
00:12:10I will now begin the consultation process
00:12:13for assigning the mandate to form
00:12:15a government. Representatives of the factions will begin to arrive
00:12:19here at the President's Residence this evening, on
00:12:22a symbolic date like no other.
00:12:25November 4th, the Gregorian date on which
00:12:28Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, may his
00:12:32memory be blessed, was assassinated 31 years ago,
00:12:35forever, this date will stand as a burning
00:12:39reminder, a reminder warning of what can happen
00:12:42to us, when disagreement turns into hatred,
00:12:46when political rivalry turns
00:12:48into violence. There is no place for violence
00:12:51among us, neither physical nor verbal.
00:12:55Not against an individual, nor against a community, sector or
00:12:58society, there is a place, my sisters and brothers, citizens
00:13:02of Israel, to reach out, to reach out
00:13:05even in the midst of a difficult disagreement that tears
00:13:09us apart in too many areas.
00:13:12The elections are over, now is the time to read
00:13:15the reality. On the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish
00:13:19people recite the Kol Nidre prayer, in which
00:13:22we annul vows.
00:13:25And prohibitions to return and repair
00:13:28and say, all our vows and prohibitions,
00:13:31and oaths and bans,
00:13:33that we have vowed, sworn, are annulled
00:13:36and void. With the beginning of the
00:13:39consultation process, to prevent repeat
00:13:42elections, and to build here a stable and good government
00:13:45for the people of Israel, I expect the factions
00:13:49and their representatives to understand that it is not possible
00:13:52in the current reality to fulfill all obligations
00:13:55and promises. It is important for me to emphasize that I am not
00:13:59asking anyone to give up basic
00:14:02values, but in the current reality
00:14:06where there is no clear winner after the elections, I
00:14:09ask for originality and creativity,
00:14:12daring and good will,
00:14:16so that the State of Israel will emerge
00:14:19victorious. The issues on the table
00:14:23are fateful. And some require urgent
00:14:26attention. It is enough for any sensible person to see the security
00:14:30and political challenges facing us, to look
00:14:34at the changing region around us and to remember
00:14:37the issues that tear us apart within us, to understand
00:14:41that a tremendous responsibility rests upon us. After
00:14:44three years of war, the public's eyes are turned
00:14:48to you, the leaders, the eyes of the bereaved
00:14:51families, the eyes of the wounded men and women.
00:14:55The eyes of the reservists and the serving families,
00:14:59the eyes of business owners and providers,
00:15:03and so on and so on.
00:15:06And finally, my esteemed colleagues, the legislator granted the President
00:15:10of the State,
00:15:12sorry, and finally, my esteemed colleagues,
00:15:16the legislator granted the President of the State very
00:15:19broad discretion, when it comes to entrusting the task
00:15:22of forming the government, to whom. Members
00:15:25of Knesset, the only test I will ask
00:15:29to be before the eyes of the factions and their representatives,
00:15:33when they come here is, who
00:15:35truly, and what truly is in the best interest
00:15:38of the state at this time, I intend
00:15:42to conduct open, incisive
00:15:44and sharp discussions
00:15:47with the representatives of the factions, I will also ask difficult
00:15:51questions, and if necessary, I will hold additional
00:15:54rounds of consultations at various levels, in order
00:15:58to try to get satisfactory
00:16:00answers. I again thank you,
00:16:04Judge Noam Solberg and all the committee staff.
00:16:08And I welcome the representatives of the factions
00:16:11for consultations regarding the formation of the next
00:16:14government. Thank you very much.
00:16:15Yes,
00:16:19so these are the words of President Herzog and Judge
00:16:23Solberg, Solberg reiterates that the election
00:16:26results reflect the people's decision, that all serious
00:16:29suspicions are being investigated, but the scope of the possible impact of these
00:16:33suspicions is limited, he reiterates that no aspersions should be cast
00:16:37on the vote of the Arab sector, things also said by President
00:16:41Isaac Herzog, who also refers to the investigation, says he trusts the investigative
00:16:44authorities, calls for every suspicion to be checked, and also confirms
00:16:48that there is currently tension between the Shin Bet and the legal
00:16:51counsel to the government on this background,
00:16:55in conclusion, Herzog demands that our politicians show flexibility
00:16:58and creativity, especially at this time, it is not possible
00:17:02to fulfill all election promises, this is what we see now that the results
00:17:05have been received, Herzog says that the good of the state
00:17:09must be considered above all, these are the words of the President
00:17:13of the State and the Chairman of the Central Elections
00:17:15Committee at the ceremony of
00:17:18presenting the official
00:17:22to President Herzog, and that's all for our news
00:17:25program for this morning, we wish you a good and
00:17:28quiet day, see you
00:17:30soon.