Netanyahu Says Opponents Are Trying to Steal Israel Election

Benjamin Netanyahu accused opponents of trying to steal Israel’s election and urged Likud supporters to vote, as polling continued on October 27. His election-day message cited the detention of three people in the Negev over alleged vote-buying linked to the United Arab List, also known as Raam. The allegations and their possible effect on the vote had not been established while ballots were being cast. Netanyahu said the three detainees had been caught with cash and materials related to Raam ballots. The Central Elections Committee said they were apprehended in a vehicle, away from polling stations. Raam confirmed that three party activists were detained but rejected the allegations. A separate report said no official police statement confirming the alleged vote-buying had been issued. The available accounts do not establish whether the detainees faced substantiated charges. Netanyahu also used claims about turnout to press his supporters to go to the polls. He said Arab-sector participation in the south was exceeding Jewish turnout and claimed that left-wing Jewish women were accompanying Arab women voters. Those claims were disputed by Arab political representatives. The...