Netanyahu accuses Arab parties of trying to "steal the elections"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has often attacked Arab parties in Israel, said that three prominent officials of the United Arab List Party (Raam) were arrested in the south of the country, with envelopes full of money in their possession.

Netanyahu added, "We cannot leave this battle in the hands of the left and the Arab parties that want to put an end to the Jewish state." Netanyahu urged voters to go to the polls, saying: “No barbecues, no going to the beach, but go to the polling stations and vote for Likud.”

The United Arab List, which held five seats in the previous Israeli parliament, can play a pivotal role in forming the next government, if the right-wing and opposition seats converge.

For his part, Acting Director General of the Central Elections Commission Dean Livne said during a press conference on Tuesday that the incident was "unusual." He added, "The police arrested people who tried to bribe voters, even before they arrived at the polling stations."

According to Livneh, the three people, whose identities were not revealed, were not present inside the polling stations, but were arrested near their homes, adding that the case is still under investigation. He added, "This is a case limited to a specific area."

In a related context, with the start of voting, opposition parties, including Gadi Eisenkot's party, Netanyahu's main competitor, complained that their ballot papers had been mutilated and stolen inside the voting centers.

The Times of Israel quoted the Central Elections Commission as saying, “Contrary to allegations circulating online, there are currently no indications of systematic tampering with ballot papers.”

Israelis cast their votes, today (Tuesday, October 27, 2026), in close parliamentary elections that may end the rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and constitute a turning point in a country suffering from deep division and international isolation. The elections are being held in the wake of three years of regional wars on multiple fronts sparked by the attack, while the shock is still strongly present and issues of accountability and security are at the forefront of the election campaign. The hotly contested elections come as Israel appears more isolated on the international scene, due to its devastating military campaign in Gaza, the acceleration of settlement construction, the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, and the growth of extreme right-wing religious nationalism.

The latest published opinion polls showed a tie between Netanyahu, the longest-serving leader in Israel's history, and his main centrist rival, Gadi Eisenkot, the former chief of staff and a recent arrival to politics, whose calm nature is seen as the opposite of the current prime minister's style. About 7.3 million people are entitled to vote, including more than half a million young men and women who will vote for the first time. Polls show that the overwhelming majority of them classify themselves as center-right or right-wing. It is estimated that tens of thousands of Israelis have returned by air from abroad to participate in elections that are seen as decisive in defining their country's future identity.