Benjamin Netanyahu says "vote Likud for the sake of our country" as he urges supporters amid scandal

Police detained three men from the Bedouin villages of Segev Shalom and Ar’ara BaNegev on accusations of offering money to influence votes for the Arab Ra’am party just before Election Day, and the case was moved to the Lahav 433 investigative unit. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the episode, urged a formal probe and appealed to Likud supporters to vote, saying the alleged scheme threatened the election’s integrity. The Ra’am party rejected any connection to the incident, claiming the arrests were intended to depress Arab turnout and accusing National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir of politicising the police. Acting director‑general of the Central Elections Committee, attorney Din Livne, said the men were stopped in a vehicle away from polling stations, characterising the matter as an isolated case. Searches of the suspects’ homes yielded envelopes with tens of thousands of shekels, and they were transferred to the Southern District fraud unit for further questioning.