Herzog stresses elections are 'not civil war,' says he see no reason results would not be accepted

President Isaac Herzog, in a 103FM interview before Yom Kippur, addressed rising tensions ahead of the Israeli elections, emphasizing that "Elections are not a civil war." He urged calm and acceptance of results, criticizing harsh political rhetoric and media radicalization. Herzog also discussed the legal oversight of IDF operations, stating, "there is close legal oversight for every significant combat unit." He revealed details of his mediation proposal for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, which Netanyahu "did not respond at all" to, and condemned West Bank settler violence as a "terrible stain on the face of the state." Finally, he called for an independent inquiry into the October 7 failures post-election, stressing the need for national unity.