Record Turnout in Israel's Election as Netanyahu Accuses Arab Citizens of Trying to 'Steal' the Vote
Israelis voted in record numbers in Tuesday's parliamentary election, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged his base to vote by accusing Arab citizens of trying to “steal the elections.” Election officials say there is no sign of widespread irregularities.
Israel held a parliamentary election on Tuesday in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's long-serving leader, is seeking re-election against a loosely united opposition. It is the first national vote since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, and the three years of war that followed, and it is widely seen as the most consequential in the country's history.
Record turnout
By 6 p.m. local time, four hours before polls closed, 66.7 percent of voters had cast ballots. That is the highest figure at that point of the day since the Central Elections Committee began recording turnout in two-hour increments in 1973, and nine percentage points above the same time in 2022. Turnout was especially strong among Arab citizens, who make up about a fifth of the population. In some Arab-majority towns it had already exceeded the totals of the previous election. In Rahat, a large Bedouin town in southern Israel, it reached 60 percent shortly before 5 p.m.
Netanyahu's statements
On social media, Mr. Netanyahu wrote that buses and long lines were heading to polls in Arab towns while right-wing strongholds had “yet to wake up,” warning of a “government of Arab parties.” In a video statement he urged his own voters to turn out in droves. He used similar language in 2015, drawing wide condemnation, and apologized. National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also spoke of unprecedented Arab turnout. Yousef Jabareen, who leads the Joint List alliance of Arab parties, accused the prime minister of inciting against Arab citizens and undermining the legitimacy of their vote. Dean Livne, acting director of the Central Elections Committee, said there were no reports of widespread irregularities. Mr. Netanyahu pointed to the arrests of three people suspected of planning to bribe voters on behalf of Raam, an Arab Israeli party.
Political context
Mr. Netanyahu's coalition of nationalists and ultra-Orthodox Jews faces an opposition loosely led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff. Polls suggest the two blocs are roughly tied, so forming a government could take weeks or months. Likud asked the committee to extend voting beyond 10 p.m.; rivals said the request was meant to sow doubt about the election's integrity.
