Likud Plans to Film Arab Voters Outside Polling Stations: Report
(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party intends to deploy teams to record Arab voters outside polling stations during Tuesday's general election, with the footage potentially being used to support allegations of electoral fraud if the party experiences substantial losses, according to reports.
The reported plan involves spending millions of shekels to recruit and pay personnel tasked with monitoring polling stations in Arab communities, filming voters and relaying developments to party headquarters in real time.
The teams have reportedly been organized over recent weeks and are expected to operate outside polling stations rather than inside them. This approach would allow them to avoid the strict regulations governing official election observers, according to the report.
The report also indicated that senior Likud officials had discussed launching a public campaign alleging that the election was rigged if the party performs significantly worse than expected.
Sources close to Netanyahu said some party officials had urged the prime minister to pursue the strategy, adding that he was considering the proposal. However, the report noted that there was no evidence Netanyahu had personally attended meetings where the plan was discussed.
The proposed approach has drawn comparisons with allegations made by US President Donald Trump following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, when he claimed widespread electoral fraud.
A senior Likud official involved in election operations characterized the party's claims about voting irregularities during Israel's 2022 election as groundwork for the current electoral campaign.
“2022 was a trial run for the current election,” the official said.
Likud sources also suggested that recordings made outside polling stations could be circulated as purported evidence of electoral fraud. However, the teams would have no legal authority to verify voters' identities, raising questions about what conclusions could legitimately be drawn from the footage.
Separately, election observers affiliated with the party across Israel are expected to report unusual incidents to a dedicated center established to monitor suspected electoral fraud.
The reported preparations come as Israeli voters head to the polls for the country's first general election since Israel launched its military campaign in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The election is taking place amid heightened political tensions and scrutiny of the country's political leadership.
The allegations concerning Likud's planned monitoring activities have not, in themselves, established that electoral fraud has occurred. The reported strategy centers on documenting activity outside polling stations and the potential use of that material in a post-election campaign if the party suffers significant losses.
The reported plan involves spending millions of shekels to recruit and pay personnel tasked with monitoring polling stations in Arab communities, filming voters and relaying developments to party headquarters in real time.
The teams have reportedly been organized over recent weeks and are expected to operate outside polling stations rather than inside them. This approach would allow them to avoid the strict regulations governing official election observers, according to the report.
The report also indicated that senior Likud officials had discussed launching a public campaign alleging that the election was rigged if the party performs significantly worse than expected.
Sources close to Netanyahu said some party officials had urged the prime minister to pursue the strategy, adding that he was considering the proposal. However, the report noted that there was no evidence Netanyahu had personally attended meetings where the plan was discussed.
The proposed approach has drawn comparisons with allegations made by US President Donald Trump following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, when he claimed widespread electoral fraud.
A senior Likud official involved in election operations characterized the party's claims about voting irregularities during Israel's 2022 election as groundwork for the current electoral campaign.
“2022 was a trial run for the current election,” the official said.
Likud sources also suggested that recordings made outside polling stations could be circulated as purported evidence of electoral fraud. However, the teams would have no legal authority to verify voters' identities, raising questions about what conclusions could legitimately be drawn from the footage.
Separately, election observers affiliated with the party across Israel are expected to report unusual incidents to a dedicated center established to monitor suspected electoral fraud.
The reported preparations come as Israeli voters head to the polls for the country's first general election since Israel launched its military campaign in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The election is taking place amid heightened political tensions and scrutiny of the country's political leadership.
The allegations concerning Likud's planned monitoring activities have not, in themselves, established that electoral fraud has occurred. The reported strategy centers on documenting activity outside polling stations and the potential use of that material in a post-election campaign if the party suffers significant losses.
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