Arab Israeli politicians accuse Netanyahu of hate incitement ahead of elections
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Leaders of Arab parties say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is weaponizing anti-Arab racism to inflame fear, squeeze out right-wing turnout, and cling to power, while rights groups report voting barriers in Arab-majority areas.
Leaders of Arab-led parties in Israel have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately stoking hatred against Palestinian citizens in a naked bid to improve his electoral chances. Yousef Jabareen, head of the Joint List, said in a video posted on social media that the government can end Netanyahu's "bloody reign." Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, described the prime minister's remarks as a "scare tactic to mobilise right-wing voters and drive them to the polls."
Netanyahu posted on X, branding Arab voters as "Muslim Brotherhood supporters" and accusing them of "raiding the polling stations and stealing the elections." He also circulated an image of a long queue at a polling station and urged right-wing Israelis to "go out and vote for Likud," casting the moment as a "matter of life and death for us" and further pouring fuel on an already toxic atmosphere.
The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights, Adalah, said it had received numerous reports of efforts to discourage Arab voters, slow-moving or halted queues in Arab-majority towns, and a shortage of ballot slips printed in Arabic. The organization has alerted Israel's Central and Regional Elections Committees, warning that these obstacles threaten the basic right to vote.
Balad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh praised Palestinian citizens in Israel, urging them to keep voting in large numbers despite the intimidation and pressure being directed at them.
"There are racists for whom these pictures are frightening, but for us, they encourage us and we’ll continue with all our might! I call on Arab citizens to continue coming out in droves, it’s in our hands!" – Sami Abu Shehadeh