Likud Election Purity Director Previously Led Arab Voter Turnout Reduction Campaign

Sagi Keizler, who heads the Likud's Election Purity Headquarters, previously orchestrated a campaign aimed at lowering Arab voter turnout, according to a 2019 Facebook post by his former advertising firm. Keizler, described as a right-wing activist and public relations professional, was appointed by the Likud several months ago as a special project manager responsible for the party's activities in the Arab sector.

Before the recent vote, the Likud planned to complain about alleged fraud in Arab communities, and following the election, alongside a campaign to delegitimize partnerships with Arab parties, the ruling party claimed "election theft." Keizler submitted hundreds of complaints to the Central Election Committee regarding alleged fraud attempts. However, Dean Livneh, acting Director-General of the Central Election Committee, stated that "there is no basis to claims of systematic harm to election purity."

Keizler sharply criticized Livneh, stating that on election day, "we submitted 1,183 complaints to the Election Committee regarding fraud, corruption, money transfers, fuel cards, food vouchers, and improper use of voter mobilization software." He added that the committee did not address these issues, and the complaints came from various Arab towns across Israel, not just a single location as suggested by the committee. "The number of violations there was inconceivable," Keizler asserted.

The 2019 post from "Keizler Inbar" advertising agency boasted about their role in a campaign called "Project Purity of Conduct," which they claimed significantly contributed to reducing Arab voter turnout. The post mentioned the deployment of Likud observers to every polling station, resulting in a drop in turnout to below 50%, the lowest in years. The post was accompanied by a photo of the advertising firm's heads with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu.

Reports from that election day indicated that Likud observers had entered Arab polling stations with hidden cameras, sparking controversy and leading to complaints from Arab parties to the Central Election Committee. Following this, photography within polling stations was prohibited.

Separately, Edo Norden, acting Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, reportedly provided intelligence to the police regarding Ra'am activists arrested on suspicion of election bribery on the morning of the recent election. During a court hearing on election day, police admitted to searching the activists' homes without a warrant, despite the lack of one.