Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday renewed his attacks on Arab parties, warning after casting his ballot that “they’re trying to steal the election” after reports that individuals were arrested with envelopes of cash.
Netanyahu, who has used Arab-Israeli parties throughout the election to stoke fears of a Palestinian state, said that three senior officials of the Raam party had been arrested with envelopes full of cash in the south.
Despite being a relatively small party, Raam could play a decisive role in forming an opposition-led coalition if election results are as close as expected. Opposition parties, including that of Netanyahu’s main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, have complained as voting got underway that their ballot papers were being defaced and stolen at polling places.
Acting Central Elections Committee director general Dean Livne referred to the “unusual” incident in a press conference Tuesday morning, saying “police, even before people arrived at the polling stations, caught individuals who tried to bribe voters”. “Contrary to claims circulating online, there are currently no indications of systematic tampering with ballot slips,” the Central Elections Committee was quoted as saying by the Times of Israel, adding that reports were being addressed immediately.
