Three residents of southern Israel were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of attempting to bribe voters to cast ballots for the Arab Ra’am party, as Israel’s national election entered its final hours with record turnout reported across the country.
Police confirm arrests linked to alleged cash distribution
Three individuals from Segev Shalom and Ar’ara BaNegev were detained by Israel Police on Tuesday morning, approximately four hours before polls opened, on suspicion of distributing envelopes containing cash alongside Ra’am party ballots. Police seized tens of thousands of shekels in cash from the suspects’ homes during subsequent searches, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Ra’am party denied any involvement, calling the arrests an attempt by police to suppress Arab voter participation.
Election officials reported that voter turnout had reached 66.7% by 6 p.m. local time, surpassing the 57.7% recorded at the same hour during the 2022 election. This marked the highest turnout at that point in Israeli history, according to the Central Elections Committee. By noon, more than 2.3 million Israelis had already voted, a figure higher than any election since 1977.
Netanyahu declares 'emergency' as turnout surges
Prime Minister Netanyahu issued repeated calls to right-wing voters to cast ballots, warning of an "emergency" and framing the election as a referendum on the future of the Jewish state. In social media posts and public statements, he cited high turnout in Arab-majority cities and left-wing strongholds as a threat to his coalition’s prospects. "The Jewish state is on the brink of ruin," Netanyahu told ultra-Orthodox supporters, while also accusing opponents of attempting to "steal the election" through alleged bribery schemes.
Turnout in Arab-majority cities such as Umm al-Fahm (56.1%), Kafr Qasim (73.9%), Nazareth (58.4%), and Rahat (72.2%) had already exceeded their 2022 final totals by 6 p.m., with Rahat recording the largest increase of 12.66 percentage points. In contrast, predominantly ultra-Orthodox (haredi) cities lagged behind their 2022 turnout figures at the same hour.
Allegations of dirty tricks overshadow record participation
Netanyahu and his allies accused Arab parties and left-wing opponents of employing underhanded tactics to sway the election, including the alleged voter-bribery scheme. Police confirmed that the three detained individuals were not near polling stations when arrested and had not been identified as Ra’am party officials. The Central Elections Committee described the incident as an isolated case, noting that police had intercepted the suspects before they reached voters.
Ra’am dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, stating in a response that "there was nothing improper about the activists' conduct" and accusing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police force of targeting Arab voters. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party accused Netanyahu of laying the groundwork to challenge the election’s integrity by petitioning for an extension of voting hours.
Election officials clarified that voters already in line at 10 p.m. local time would be permitted to vote, despite Likud and allied parties requesting an extension. The Central Elections Committee emphasized that the polling process would proceed as scheduled.
Election held amid regional tensions
Tuesday’s vote marked the first parliamentary election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the subsequent war in Gaza, as well as the U.S.-led military action against Iran in February 2026. The outcome is widely seen as a judgment on Netanyahu’s handling of multiple conflicts that have heightened Israel’s international isolation. More than a fifth of Israel’s population consists of Muslims, Christians, and Druze Arabs, whose turnout could significantly influence the election’s result.
With polls scheduled to close at 10 p.m. local time, right-wing parties launched emergency mobilization efforts to boost turnout among their supporters, while left-wing and Arab parties celebrated record participation in their strongholds. The final results are expected later on Wednesday.