Israel's Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Ban Armed Poll Watchers

Israel's Supreme Court on October 25, 2026, rejected a petition by the Adalah legal center and the Joint List that sought to prohibit armed poll watchers from carrying weapons inside voting stations during Knesset elections. The petition was filed in response to announcements by the Likud and Religious Zionism parties that they intended to deploy approximately 2,000 poll watchers in Arab towns and mixed cities. Petitioners expressed concerns that the presence of armed party representatives could intimidate Arab voters and lead to confrontations at polling stations.

In its response, the state argued that there was no basis to interfere with the police's professional assessment, which found no genuine threat or operational need to ban armed poll watchers. The state also indicated that armed observers would receive specific guidance emphasizing that weapons are for self-defense only and should be carried discreetly. The police stated there were no indications of anticipated disturbances, disruptions, or planned threats against voters.

The Supreme Court ruled that there were no grounds to override the discretion of the police and the head of the election committee. Justice Gila Kanfi-Steinitz noted that the petitioners' concerns were considered in election day preparations, and based on intelligence, situational assessments, and security arrangements, there was no justification to alter existing instructions. The court emphasized that the police have broad authority in security and public order matters, and judicial intervention in such decisions is limited to exceptional cases.

Adalah responded critically, stating that the state and court "completely ignored" the core issue of deterring Arab voters due to the presence of weapons carried by organized right-wing activists. The organization disputed the court's reasoning about time constraints, asserting that police could have prepared for a ban on weapons in polling stations.