"A finger in the eye of Ben Gvir": In Rahat they celebrate the high voter turnout - and send a message to Netanyahu

Residents of Rahat celebrated the high voter turnout in the elections, which approached 80%, attributing it to opposition to Minister Ben Gvir. The Arab parties won 16-18 seats in the polls.

Residents of Rahat celebrated last night the high voter turnout in the elections for the 26th Knesset, which approached 80% compared to 60.6% in the previous elections. Many attribute the mobilization to opposition to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his policies toward the Bedouin community in the Negev. "It's a finger in the eye of Ben Gvir," residents explained. Party headquarters celebrated the poll results, which gave the Arab parties together 16-18 seats. Alongside the celebrations, voices were also heard reminding that opposition to Ben Gvir does not necessarily indicate opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "We have no problem with Netanyahu, Ben Gvir dragged him against us," a resident said. Mayor Talal al-Karnawi said: "We showed our strength."