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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that "they’re trying to steal the election from us," urging right-wing supporters to vote as turnout in Arab communities and opposition strongholds surged in Israel’s general election.
Turnout reached 31.5% by noon, the highest at that hour since 1973, the Central Elections Committee said, as Netanyahu cast his ballot in Jerusalem and called on Israelis to vote "the right way."
"This morning we were informed that they are trying to steal the election from us. Tibi, Mansour Abbas and Shehadeh say their voters are flocking to the polls, and that’s true. The voting rate there is very high," Netanyahu said.
"We are the ones who need to flock to the polls. We cannot leave the battle here in the hands of the left and the Arab parties that want to bring an end to the Jewish state, that is what is at stake," he said.
"Emergency!" Netanyahu wrote on X.
"The left’s activists are storming the polling stations, and the right’s activists are indifferent. This is the time to wake up. Go out and get others out to vote, vote Likud!" he added.
Polls suggest Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister with 19 years in office, could be on track to lose power. His main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, voted earlier in the day.
Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi said, "Polling stations are packed like never before, and I am confident we will achieve a major victory."
About 2.3 million Israelis had voted by noon, compared with 28.4% turnout at the same hour in 2022, an increase of 3.1% points, acting committee director-general Dean Livne said.
Election committee chairperson Justice Noam Sohlberg pointed to long lines at polling stations.
"Standing in line for a quarter of an hour to 20 minutes is not fun, but on the other hand, let’s look at the big picture, very many people are not giving up the right to vote," Sohlberg said. "This is the recipe for resilience in Israeli society."
"Elections in Israel are safe, proper and supervised in an inspiring way," Shin Bet chief David Zini said at the committee’s control center. "There are challenges and there are those who try to harm, but led by Judge Sohlberg and the Israel Police, we are succeeding."
In Tel Aviv, a man carrying a knife approached Democrats leader Yair Golan during a get-out-the-vote tour in Park HaMesila.
Golan’s bodyguards blocked him, a knife fell from his clothing and police arrested him.
More than 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote, and polls close at 10 p.m. local time. Netanyahu’s warning over a stolen election comes as polls show neither bloc is assured of the 61 seats needed to govern.
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