Israel: Netanyahu raises “serious suspicions” of foreign interference; the electoral commission sees no irregularity
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- In the 27 October election: 53 seats for Netanyahu’s camp, 48 for Eisenkot’s; the majority is 61.
- On 4 November Netanyahu raised “serious suspicions” of foreign interference, without evidence.
- The electoral commission says it found neither irregularity nor evidence that the results were altered.
- President Herzog has begun consultations to form the government.
In this article
The results
According to franceinfo and AFP (4 November, 11:05 pm), the legislative elections took place on 27 October 2026. Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp won 53 seats and the main centrist opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, 48. A majority requires 61 seats: neither camp has one. The 19 seats of the Arab parties could give Gadi Eisenkot a comfortable majority, but his bloc refuses for now any formal alliance with them. President Isaac Herzog has begun consultations to form the next government and the electoral authorities have validated the results.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements
On 4 November the outgoing prime minister said there were “serious suspicions” that foreign states had spent large sums to influence the election. He provided no evidence and did not explain how this could have affected the result. It is the first time he has taken up these accusations as prime minister; before, he had only relayed them on social media. The article specifies that they are “at this stage” unsubstantiated. It names no country, no amounts and no evidence.
Reactions and unverified points
The opposition accuses him of sowing doubt about the result to keep power. Judge Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the electoral commission, warns of the “real danger” posed by those who contest the results. The commission says its thorough checks found neither irregularity nor evidence that the integrity of the vote was affected or the results altered. In the source used, we could not verify the prospects for a coalition or the timetable for forming a government.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Les législatives israéliennes du 27 octobre n’ont donné de majorité à aucun camp.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
02Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon franceinfo et l’AFP (4 novembre, 23 h 05), les élections législatives ont eu lieu le 27 octobre 2026.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
03Pouvoir: ability and possibility
peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive
Les 19 sièges des partis arabes pourraient donner une confortable majorité à Gadi Eisenkot, mais son bloc refuse pour l’instant toute alliance formelle avec eux.Key pointsPut a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.
04Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Le président Isaac Herzog a commencé les consultations pour former le prochain gouvernement et les autorités électorales ont validé les résultats.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
05The present of être
est / sont + complement
C’est la première fois qu’il reprend ces accusations en sa qualité de Premier ministre ; auparavant, il ne les avait relayées que sur les réseaux sociaux.Key pointsEst is third-person singular and sont third-person plural of être. They express “is / are” — a state or description. If a past participle follows, it is a different structure such as the passive, so check the words that follow.
06The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Le juge Noam Sohlberg, qui préside la commission électorale, met en garde contre le « danger réel » que représentent ceux qui contestent les résultats.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
franceinfoとAFP（4日23時5分）によると、総選挙は2026年10月27日に行われました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
ヘルツォグ大統領は、次の政権をつくるための協議を始め、選挙当局は結果を確定させています。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
03The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
11月4日、退任する首相のネタニヤフ氏は、外国の国々が選挙に影響を与えるために巨額の資金を使ったという「重大な疑い」があると述べました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
04Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
11月4日、ネタニヤフ首相が外国の資金による干渉の疑いに触れ、選挙管理委員会は不正は見つからなかったと説明しています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
05Possibility in Japanese: できる・られる
verb potential form / 〜ことができる
この記事の範囲では、連立の交渉の見通しや、いつ政権ができるかは確認できませんでした。Key pointsできる is the basic verb for ability. The potential form of 受ける is 受けられる. The same られる can also be passive or honorific, so decide from the meaning of the sentence.
06Linking actions with the て-form
verb て-form + next expression
証拠は示さず、それが結果にどう影響しえたかも説明していません。Key pointsThe て-form links actions in a series, in order or as a reason. In “確認して、出発する” the relation is judged from the content. In “〜ている” it can show an action in progress or a continuing state.