Israeli president warns election tensions could deepen divisions

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog warned Monday that tensions surrounding the upcoming parliamentary elections could deepen divisions in Israeli society.

In an interview with Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Herzog said election periods naturally carry risks of greater polarization.

“We are in an election period, and naturally such a period is dangerous because it could lead to some kind of radicalization that could tear us apart even further,” he said.

Asked whether he feared that one side might refuse to accept the election results, Herzog said: “I believe everyone will accept the election results.”

He urged Israelis to vote and stressed that political competition should not further divide society.

“Elections are not a civil war. Elections are the way to clarify issues, make decisions and understand that the day after, we continue together,” Herzog said.

He pledged to work to prevent Israel from being forced into another election if the Oct. 27 vote fails to produce a stable governing coalition.

“I am doing everything to ensure that Israel has a stable government,” he said. “I will do absolutely everything I can to prevent repeat elections.”

Herzog said Israel faces major national challenges and should avoid returning to repeated elections and prolonged political deadlock.

Asked whether he would seek to promote a unity government if the election produces a stalemate, Herzog declined to endorse any particular coalition.

“It would not be right for me to say, two weeks before the elections, what kind of government should be formed,” he said.

Herzog also said he was working closely with the Central Elections Committee over possible attempts to interfere with the vote.

He said he recently brought representatives of major technology companies together with committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg and his team to discuss possible scenarios, including attempts to disrupt the elections from inside or outside Israel.

‘Moral stain’

Herzog also addressed violence in the occupied West Bank, describing occupier attacks against Palestinians as unacceptable and saying authorities should consider using administrative detention in some cases against those responsible.

He said violence in the occupied territory was a “moral stain,” adding that innocent Palestinians should not be attacked.

Herzog also addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, saying the case should be brought to an end through a plea agreement.

He said he had offered to mediate between the sides at the President’s Residence, but Netanyahu had not responded, adding that the offer remained open.

Netanyahu has been on trial since May 2020 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three corruption cases. He denies wrongdoing and has repeatedly described the charges as politically motivated.

His testimony in the cases concluded in June after 98 court hearings spanning around 18 months.

In November 2025, Netanyahu formally requested a presidential pardon from Herzog in connection with the corruption charges.

The Oct. 27 election will determine the composition of Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, where at least 61 seats are generally needed to form a governing majority.

Netanyahu, whose current government took office in late 2022, is seeking another term, while opposition parties are attempting to secure enough parliamentary support to form an alternative government.

Recent opinion polls have shown a closely divided political landscape, with neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor his opponents consistently securing a clear governing majority.

Israel has experienced prolonged political instability in recent years, holding five parliamentary elections between 2019 and 2022 after repeated difficulties in forming or maintaining governing coalitions.

​​​​​​​The upcoming election also comes amid continuing political disputes over accountability for the events of 2023 and calls for an official investigation into the failures surrounding them.