Israel Police Arrest 3 on Eve of Vote Over Cash-for-Ballot Claims

Israel police detained three residents of Segev Shalom and Ar'ara BaNegev on suspicion of paying citizens to cast ballots for the Arab Ra'am party. The detentions came in the hours before polls opened on Election Day. Officers searched the suspects' homes and seized envelopes holding tens of thousands of shekels in cash, along with notes and other material police said was tied to the probe. The three were taken to the Southern District's Fraud Unit for questioning.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the arrests the same day, Tuesday. He said the suspects were carrying envelopes of cash and ballots bearing the name of Mansour Abbas, and he called for a formal investigation. Netanyahu also turned to his own coalition's voters, telling right-wing and Likud supporters that, in the face of attempts to compromise election integrity, they must go out and vote "Mahal," and vote Likud "for the sake of our country!"

Ra'am rejected the allegations. "There was nothing improper about the activists' conduct," the party said in its response. It cast the detentions as moves by the police force of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to suppress voting within Arab society. Israeli media reported that police questioned the three for four hours before polls opened, and that the arrests did not take place near polling stations or near people arriving to vote.

Police were scheduled to seek a court order extending the suspects' detention after questioning wrapped up.