Lod Municipality Accused of Political Discrimination Over Election Signs

The Lod municipality has been accused of political discrimination after removing election signs belonging to the Joint List from public property, while allowing signs from the Likud party to remain. An investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that Joint List signs were removed from at least two locations, despite numerous Likud signs still being displayed, including at a central intersection.

Following inquiries from Haaretz, the municipality claimed that right-wing party signs were also removed, providing documentation of removals that allegedly occurred during the week. However, the newspaper's review found dozens of Likud signs still posted at a major intersection near the Central Court and shopping center.

Huriya Al-Saadi, a Joint List activist, stated that dozens of signs had been removed in recent days. A shop owner, Nabil, confirmed that municipal inspectors removed the signs without explanation. Documentation obtained by Haaretz showed workers using a lift to remove Joint List signs and municipal inspectors taking them down from a municipal fence.

Residents reported the continued presence of Likud signs, with one individual contacting the municipal call center to report them at a central intersection. The employee who took the call stated they would investigate.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site on Monday, accompanied by Lod Mayor Yair Revivo, who is a member of the Likud party, as is his brother, Knesset member Eli Revivo. Nabil expressed a feeling of discrimination, believing the removals were intended to suppress expected increased voting for the Joint List. Al-Saadi viewed the actions as an attempt to exclude the Arab public from public and political life, vowing to legally defend the Joint List's right to display signs and demanding equal application of rules for all parties.

The Lod municipality denied any selective enforcement, asserting that inspections and removals of illegally placed election signs are conducted equally for all parties. They stated that some signs are re-posted after removal and that a more lenient policy is applied starting the Friday before elections to foster a democratic atmosphere. The Joint List, however, maintained that the selective enforcement based on political and national grounds violates equality, emphasizing that Arab citizens in Lod are not second-class citizens and their right to political representation must be equal to all others, stating that attempts to exclude the Arab public will fail.