Police seize tens of thousands of shekels in pre-election arrests

Israel Police arrested three men on Election Day for suspected attempts to bribe voters.

Officers seized envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels in cash during home raids. The police also recovered ballots specifically designated for Mansour Abbas, the head of the Arab Ra'am party, along with other notes connected to the investigation.

The suspects, two from Segev Shalom and one from Ar’ara BaNegev, were detained four hours before polling stations opened. Police stated the men were not located near any voting centers or near lines of arriving voters at the time of their arrest. They have been moved to the Southern District’s Fraud Unit for questioning. Courts are expected to rule on extending their detention today.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the incident on Tuesday. He confirmed the arrests and called for a formal inquiry. "Three suspects were arrested in possession of envelopes containing cash, along with ballots for Mansour Abbas," Netanyahu said. He urged supporters of his Likud party to head to the polls. "Right-wing voters, dear Likud voters, in the face of attempts to compromise the integrity of the elections, you must go out and vote 'Mahal,' vote Likud for the sake of our country!"

The Ra'am party disputed the police narrative. A party statement called the conduct of the activists proper. It described the action as an effort by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police force to suppress voting within Arab society.

The arrests occurred on the eve of the general election, raising questions about the handling of pre-vote activities in mixed communities.