Likud Party Plans to Broadcast Allegations of Arab Community Election Fraud

The Likud party intends to disseminate claims of voter fraud and irregularities within the Arab community both before and after the upcoming Knesset elections. According to Israeli Channel 12, the party is considering focusing its allegations on issues such as women wearing niqabs at polling stations, separate voting hours for men and women in the Negev, and the age of election monitors. Central Election Committee regulations stipulate that women wearing niqabs must reveal their faces for identification, with verification possible in the presence of a female observer behind a screen. The regulations do not exempt niqab-wearing women from this identification process. Regarding separate voting times in the Negev, the committee's rules do not prohibit organized groups of voters from arriving at specific times, provided it does not impede other voters during official polling hours. The age requirement for election monitors is uniformly set at 21 years nationwide, with no distinction for polling stations in Arab towns. In anticipation of potential fraud allegations, enhanced monitoring is planned for polling stations, with two non-partisan election secretaries, one integrity monitor, and three party representatives expected at each location. Netanyahu's camp is also expected to have representatives in Arab community polling stations to closely observe the voting process. Additional monitors will be present to report any violations. Election integrity monitors are authorized to document exceptional events and oversee vote counting. Representatives from various lists will conduct mutual oversight of the voting process and official records. These measures supplement a plan announced last week by Likud and the Religious Zionism party to deploy approximately 2,000 monitors in Arab towns, which they stated aims to enhance oversight and prevent potential violations. The acting director-general of the Central Election Committee has previously acknowledged concerns about fraud allegations and attempts to undermine election credibility, stating that the existing monitoring system makes widespread fraud difficult and warning of the potential for false information to create the impression of a rigged election.