Adalah and the Joint List petition the High Court to demand a ban on officials carrying weapons inside polling stations

Adalah and the Joint List have petitioned the High Court to prevent polling station officials and party representatives from carrying weapons inside polling stations, warning of intimidation of Arab voters. The petition follows an announcement by Likud and Religious Zionism to deploy observers in Arab towns.

Adalah and the Joint List filed a petition to the High Court on Thursday evening, October 22, demanding a ban on polling station officials and party representatives carrying weapons inside polling stations in the upcoming Knesset elections. The petition comes in response to an announcement by Likud and Religious Zionism on October 15 of their intention to deploy around 2,000 observers at polling stations in Arab towns, most of them yeshiva students. The petition targets a police directive allowing committee officials and party representatives to carry weapons. The petitioners warned that the armed presence could deter Arab voters and lead to violent confrontations. The court requested a response by Sunday, October 25. Attorney Ari Remez stated that the measure constitutes racist stigmatization, while Joint List head Youssef Jabareen said bringing weapons is a serious provocation.