Netanyahu and Smotrich Plan 2,000 Poll Observers in Arab Towns to Prevent Fraud
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionism Chairman Bezalel Smotrich intend to place 2,000 observers in Arab towns' polling stations to prevent alleged fraud. The article disputes these claims, citing a past instance where the Central Elections Committee, led by Yitzhak Amit, found similar allegations baseless. Amit had warned against police intervention, fearing negative repercussions in the Arab sector. The plan involves activists from Likud and Religious Zionism, with observers permitted under specific election committee regulations.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich plan to deploy 2,000 observers in Arab towns' polling stations.
- The move is intended to prevent alleged fraud in voting and vote counting in the Arab sector.
- The article disputes past claims of election fraud in Arab communities, citing a rejected Elections Committee finding.
- Former Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit warned against police intervention, fearing negative consequences.
- The observers will be activists from the Likud and Religious Zionism parties.
- Election committee regulations permit observers under specific circumstances.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chairman of the Religious Zionism party Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to deploy approximately 2,000 observers at polling stations in Arab towns. In a statement released Thursday, they stated the move aims to "prevent fraud in voting and vote counting" within the Arab sector, citing a "long series of frauds in previous election cycles." They indicated that the observers would be activists from the Likud and Religious Zionism parties, many from the "knitted sector" and yeshiva students.
However, the article notes that the Likud's claims of fraud in the Arab community during past elections are inaccurate, and similar allegations have been rejected by the Elections Committee. During the previous Knesset elections, the Likud's representative on the Central Elections Committee, attorney Ilan Bombach, urgently requested the committee chairman, then-Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, to dispatch police forces to polling stations in Arab towns, alleging an "ongoing event" of violence. Simultaneously, social media buzzed with reports of "attempts to falsify election results in Arab polling stations."
Later, Amit published a document detailing his findings, stating that an immediate inquiry by the committee revealed the Likud's claims to be baseless. Amit warned that sending police patrols could have "created a chain reaction in the Arab sector with an unknown outcome." He had also contacted then-Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, clarifying that he would issue a restraining order if police patrols were deployed. The Elections Committee, in collaboration with the police, "quickly prevented the deterioration of false discourse in the media on this issue," Amit wrote in his lessons learned document.
According to the Central Elections Committee's regulations, observers from factions not represented at a specific polling station, or from lists running in the elections but not represented by a Knesset faction, are permitted. Polling station committee members are appointed by the outgoing Knesset factions based on their size.
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