Likud Prepares for Election Fraud Claims in Arab Towns

Israel's Channel 12 reported that the Likud party is preparing for potential accusations of election fraud and voting irregularities within the Arab community, both before and after the upcoming Tuesday elections. These preparations are underway despite a lack of evidence for the type of fraud being discussed. According to a report by journalist Dafna Liel on Friday evening, the party is examining issues that might arise, including verifying the identities of women wearing niqabs, managing separate voting times for men and women in Bedouin communities, and the ages of election integrity observers.

The report clarified that the Central Elections Committee's instructions include clear procedures for handling some of these matters, and that certain practices do not inherently violate election laws. For instance, women wearing niqabs must reveal their faces for identification, which can be done privately by a woman. Different voting times for men and women are permissible as long as they do not prevent others from voting during official hours. The minimum age for election observers is 21, a standard requirement across Israel.

These preparations coincide with the Likud and Religious Zionism parties planning to deploy approximately 2,000 observers in hundreds of polling stations in Arab towns to monitor voting and vote counting. The election system includes polling station secretaries, integrity observers, committee members representing various lists, and additional observers authorized to report violations.

Dean Levane, Acting Director-General of the Central Elections Committee, warned against attempts to undermine the election's integrity and spread misinformation, which could lead the public to believe the elections were fraudulent even if no actual fraud occurs. He noted that the existing oversight system makes large-scale fraud extremely difficult.