Three Arrested in Israel on Suspicion of Trying to Bribe Voters on Eve of Election

Israel Police announced on Tuesday that three residents of Segev Shalom and Ar'ara BaNegev had been arrested on suspicion of attempting to bribe citizens to vote for the Arab Ra'am party on the eve of Election Day.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident in a statement the same day. He said the three suspects were arrested while carrying envelopes of cash along with ballots for Mansour Abbas, and he called for a formal investigation.

Netanyahu also used the statement to appeal to his own supporters. Addressing right-wing and Likud voters, he said that in the face of attempts to compromise the integrity of the elections, they must go out and vote "Mahal," and vote Likud "for the sake of our country!"

According to Israeli media reports, police detained the three for questioning four hours before the polls opened. The reports said the arrests did not take place near any polling stations or near people who were arriving to vote.

The Ra'am party rejected the allegations. "There was nothing improper about the activists' conduct," it said in response. The party described the arrests as attempts by the police force of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to suppress voting within Arab society.

Police searched the suspects' homes as part of the investigation. Officers seized envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels in cash, as well as notes and other items suspected of being connected to the offenses under investigation.

The three suspects were transferred to the Southern District's Fraud Unit for questioning. They were expected to appear before a court as police sought to extend their detention.