Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen says the plan is meant to intimidate the Arab public
Yousef JabareenChairman of the Joint List
Jabareen says Smotrich and Netanyahu fear the Joint List's growing strength and accuses them of trying to frighten Arab voters with lies and racist campaigns.
“Smotrich and Netanyahu understand that they are on their way home and are afraid of the rising strength of the Joint List, which will be a decisive force in the election and will bring them down from power. That is why they are trying to intimidate the Arab public through lies and racist campaigns. (Translated from Hebrew. Original: סמוטריץ׳ ונתניהו מבינים שהם בדרך הביתה ומפחדים מכוחה העולה של הרשימה המשותפת, שתהיה כוח מכריע בבחירות ותפיל אותם מהשלטון. לכן הם מנסים להלך אימים על הציבור הערבי באמצעות שקרים וקמפיינים גזעניים.)”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Likud and Religious Zionism say they will send 2,000 activists to polling stations in Arab towns, citing fraud; critics call it voter intimidation
On October 15, 2026, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism said they would send nearly 2,000 activists to hundreds of polling stations in Arab communities for Israel's October 27 election. They cited a long series of fraud incidents in previous elections and said a special mapping of fraud risk would decide where the activists go. The activists are in addition to the formal observers each party may send and have no official role at the polling stations. Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen says the parties are trying to intimidate the Arab public, and the U.S. advocacy group J Street says Arab citizens' "voices and votes deserve to be respected, not intimidated into silence." Israel's Central Elections Committee director general said in June that there is no fraud in Israel, and that if any exists it is marginal.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Hebrew news report that sets out the Likud and Religious Zionism plan in the parties' own terms, including the claim of a long series of fraud incidents in previous elections, the fraud-risk mapping and the training of activists, many of them yeshiva students. It carries Yousef Jabareen's full response in Hebrew.
Reporting
About this source
Kan News liveblog entry on the Likud and Religious Zionism announcement of about 2,000 activists at polling stations in Arab communities, set out in the parties' own terms, with Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen's full response in Hebrew.
Before the quotation
Kan and Ladaat report the Likud and Religious Zionism announcement of about 2,000 activists for polling stations in Arab communities. Ladaat introduces Jabareen's statement as his response to the announcement of placing 2,000 settlers at polling stations in Arab towns (translation).
After the quotation
He says Arab voters will not be deterred, will turn out in large numbers on October 27 and, together with Jewish voters, will send the government home (translation).
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case looks at the plan to send about 2,000 party activists to polling stations in Arab communities. Jabareen calls it an attempt to intimidate Arab voters through lies and racism, so we used condemns.
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- People and groups discussed
- Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu
More from this case
Read the full caseJ Street says Arab citizens' votes should be respected, not intimidated into silence
J Street
“Arab citizens are equal members of Israeli society. Their voices and votes deserve to be respected, not intimidated into silence.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen says the plan is meant to intimidate the Arab public". First published: 2026-10-22. Last updated: 2026-10-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/6524-jabareen-says-smotrich-and-netanyahu-fear-the-joint