Polling opens nationwide
Polling stations have opened across Israel for elections to the country’s 26th Knesset. An update issued with 10 hours remaining before polls close reported long lines across the country.
Turnout reached 16.68% by 10 a.m., with more than 1.2 million people, approximately one in six eligible voters, having cast their ballots. This was reported as the highest turnout for that hour since 1981, when Begin and Peres competed and Israel still used the old Israeli shekel.
The Central Elections Committee said there had been far fewer unusual incidents than at the same stage in previous elections.
Local turnout figures raise questions
Reported local turnout figures were:
- Ramat Hasharon: 11.7%
- Bnei Brak: 11.7%
- Tel Sheva, a Bedouin locality: 10.7%
- Be’er Sheva: 9.5%
- Kiryat Shmona: 8%
- Modi’in Illit: 12.3%
- Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut: 12.2%
- Beit She’an: 11.5%
- Ra’anana: 10.8%
- Bat Yam: 6.8%
- Rahat: 14%
- Kiryat Ono: 12.8%
- Givat Shmuel: 11.2%
- Kedumim: 15.7%
Election-day commentary questioned the consistency of these figures, noting that turnout in almost no right-leaning locality approached the national average.
Observers in Rahat reportedly said some polling stations had already reached 50% turnout. The commentary argued that the hour and a half between the figures could not alone explain the discrepancy, which remains unresolved.
The same commentary cautioned that high morning turnout may reflect voters casting their ballots early before going on outings or relaxing, as in recent elections. It identified the 2 p.m. figures as a clearer indication of whether turnout remained unusually high or was concentrated in the morning.
Military turnout reaches 30%
According to the IDF, 30% of soldiers had voted by 10 a.m., compared with 25.7% at the same hour in the 2022 election.
Military voting began a week ago, with 850 polling stations deployed at bases across Israel and beyond its borders.
Three arrested over suspected Ra’am vote buying
Three suspects from Segev Shalom and Ar’ara were arrested on suspicion of planning to distribute money to citizens in exchange for voting for Ra’am.
Envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels were allegedly intended for those voters.
Abu Shehadeh casts his ballot after disqualification
Abu Shehadeh arrived to vote following his disqualification and said:
“Arabs will flock to the polls, and the racists will flock to the opposition. I hope they suffer a defeat after several years of war crimes.”
Border crosser apprehended near Nitzana
The IDF said surveillance identified an Egyptian civilian crossing the border fence from Egypt into Israel near Nitzana overnight Tuesday. Soldiers were dispatched, apprehended him and transferred him to security forces for further questioning.
The military said it views the incident with severity, continues to maintain a high level of defensive readiness in the area, and is reviewing the incident.
Channel 14 described the suspect as ‘an Arab man with extremist views’ and reported that he was transferred to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) for questioning. That characterization was not included in the IDF account.
Reported destruction of terrorists’ memorial
A separate report says Israeli forces appear to have destroyed a memorial to terrorists following a campaign by Tzvi Sukkot, describing the action as coming after years.
