Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, 5 November 2023, accused the Raam Party of buying votes and announced that three senior officials had been arrested in the Southern District with envelopes full of cash.
Raam, or the United Arab List, is a small but potentially decisive opposition bloc that could help form a coalition if the Likud tally is close. Its leader, Mansour Abbas, denounced the allegations as a right‑wing scare tactic designed to mobilise voters for the Likud campaign.
Police said detectives seized more than NIS 24,000 in cash—$7,900—during overnight searches of the suspects’ homes. Central Elections Committee director‑general Dean Livne called the incident "unusual" and said the suspects were caught near their residences, not at polling stations, and that the case was under investigation.
Opposition parties, including Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar, accused Netanyahu of sowing doubt ahead of the vote, while the Arab advocacy group Adalah reported that Arab voters faced obstacles such as delayed voting and interrogations by polling staff. Raam’s Abbas warned that the allegations could inflame tensions and undermine the legitimacy of the upcoming elections.
The Central Elections Committee will review the findings and could impose penalties if fraud is proven, while election day is slated for 9 November 2023. Netanyahu’s call for Likud voters to turn out remains in force as the campaign enters its final week.