Israeli Supreme Court Rejects Plea to Ban Guns at Arab Polling Stations

Israel's Supreme Court on Sunday evening rejected a petition filed by the Adalah Center and the Joint List that sought to prevent election workers from carrying firearms inside polling stations during the Knesset elections. The petition was prompted by concerns that armed party representatives could deter Arab voters and incite confrontations in Arab towns and mixed cities. The Likud and Religious Zionism parties had announced plans to deploy approximately 2,000 observers to polling stations in Arab towns and mixed cities, raising fears about the impact of armed representatives on voter security and freedom to vote.

The state argued in its response that there was no reason to intervene in the Israeli Police's professional assessments, which found no tangible danger or operational necessity to ban firearms for election workers. The state added that individuals carrying weapons would receive specific instructions emphasizing that their use is permitted only for self-defense and that weapons should be carried discreetly. The police also stated there were no indications of expected disturbances, disruption of the electoral process, or planned threats against voters.

Justice Gila Kenaf-Steinmetz stated that the petitioners' concerns were considered in election day preparations but did not justify changing existing instructions, given intelligence, situational assessments, and security arrangements. The court ultimately decided not to interfere with the police's and the Central Elections Committee chairman's estimations, noting the police's broad authority in public security matters.

Following the ruling, Yousef Jabareen, head of the Joint List, stated that fair elections require banning weapons and armed individuals in polling stations. He criticized the Supreme Court for not providing adequate protection for the Arab public's rights and suggested that the government and right-wing parties aim to weaken Arab participation. Jabareen asserted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned about increased Arab voter turnout and that the public will respond to incitement with broad participation.

The Adalah Center criticized the state's and election committee's stance for ignoring the core concern: deterring Arab voters due to the presence of weapons carried by organized right-wing activists. Adalah argued that the decision to allow party representatives to carry weapons was based on a police assessment made before the Likud and Religious Zionism announced their campaign, and these factors should have been considered. The center also pointed out the contradiction between allowing firearms, including long guns, and requiring representatives to pledge to carry them discreetly, especially when thousands of police and security personnel are already deployed to ensure order.