Fuel Vouchers for Votes? Evidence Emerges from Negev Gas Stations

Social media footage and testimonies have surfaced, raising questions about the distribution of fuel vouchers at gas stations in the Negev region on Election Day for the 26th Knesset. One user shared images of used fuel cards at a gas station in Shoket, alongside claims of unusual crowds on election day. Another post alleged similar cards were given to voters, though a direct link to vote-buying has not been proven.

A user named Gilad Ach posted on social media platform X, questioning the presence of numerous used single-use fuel cards at Negev gas stations in the 48 hours prior to his post, and whether this was connected to the elections. He shared a photo of several fuel cards at a gas station near a payment booth, but the origin and purpose of the cards remain unclear from the image alone.

Another testimony came from a user named Galileo, who described an exceptionally busy scene at a gas station in Shoket on election day. He noted the station, which primarily serves Bedouin communities, was packed with cars, far more than usual. He later speculated, after seeing other reports, that the crowds might have been composed of Bedouin voters who received fuel vouchers, suggesting foreign interference aimed at ousting Netanyahu.

Further circulating was a screenshot of a past post by Tal Rom, describing an incident in Meitar where he observed two Bedouin individuals refueling using fuel cards. When asked about the cards, they reportedly stated they were given to them for voting. These reports emerge amidst an ongoing investigation into alleged election bribery in the Arab community, with several arrests made in connection with attempts to buy votes for the Ra'am party, including the seizure of cash and party ballots in the Negev.

In parallel, the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has instructed the Head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, to examine suspicions of foreign funding influencing the elections. Sohlberg emphasized that he could not determine the credibility of these suspicions but stressed the need for an investigation to either substantiate or refute them. It is currently unknown if the gas station footage is linked to the ongoing investigation, and it has not been proven that the fuel vouchers were exchanged for votes.