Police Seize Cash and Ballots in Pre-Election Bribery Raid
Three men were detained with envelopes of cash and ballots for Ra'am party leader Mansour Abbas four hours before polls opened.
By Joseph Brooks ·
Israeli police arrested three men on Tuesday with cash and ballots intended for Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Arab Ra'am party, in a move that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as an attempt to bribe voters.
The suspects, residents of Segev Shalom and Ar'ara BaNegev, were detained four hours before polling stations opened. Police announced the arrests on the eve of Election Day, stating the men were in possession of envelopes containing cash.
During searches of the suspects' homes, officers seized tens of thousands of shekels in cash, along with notes and other items linked to the investigation. The arrests were carried out by the Southern District's Fraud Unit.
Netanyahu condemned the incident in a statement, calling for a formal investigation. "Three suspects were arrested in possession of envelopes containing cash, along with ballots for Mansour Abbas," he said. He urged right-wing supporters to vote for Likud to protect the election's integrity.
The Ra'am party rejected the allegations, with the party stating there was nothing improper about the activists' conduct. The party characterized the arrests as an effort by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police force to suppress voting within Arab society.
The three men are currently being questioned by the Fraud Unit. They are scheduled to appear in court today, where police will seek to extend their detention.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
