Ultra-Orthodox Voters Claim They Were Paid to Vote in Likud Primaries

Two young ultra-Orthodox men who participated in the Likud party primaries on Monday revealed that they were paid to vote and given a pre-selected list of candidates to mark. In an interview with Yossi Abdu, a reporter for Kikar HaShabbat, the men admitted they did not know most of the candidates and had no intention of voting for Likud in the upcoming Knesset elections. One said, "I honestly came to vote, I don't care about politics or anything, but I was paid." When asked who paid him, he refused to disclose the name, saying, "We won't name names to avoid chaos." He added that Likud representatives send people and money to secure votes.

The men said they received 400 shekels each, with one claiming to have gotten even more but not specifying the amount. One of them, Netanel, showed the list he was given and read out several candidate numbers he was instructed to vote for, including numbers 103, 105, 143, 122, 125, 126, 127, 128, 133, 138, 144, and 208 on the national list, and 315 in the Jerusalem district. He acknowledged only one candidate, Dudi Amsalem, by number. Both emphasized that registering with Likud does not guarantee they will vote for the party in the general election. One said he would not vote for Likud, while Netanel said he would vote according to rabbinical guidance. When asked if he might vote for Itamar Ben-Gvir, Netanel replied, "If Ben-Gvir pays me, I will vote for him." He concluded, "Only money, only money. Nobody works for free, we want money, what can you do?"