'He sent them to the polls': Likud activists blame Ben-Gvir for galvanizing Arab voters – The Jerusalem Post

‘He sent them to the polls’: Likud activists blame Ben-Gvir for galvanizing Arab voters  The Jerusalem Post

Voter turnout in Rahat, Israel's largest Bedouin city, approached 80% on Election Day, up from 60.6% in the previous election, amid a surge in participation across communities in the Negev. Arab party campaign offices in the city celebrated the results as a “poke in the eye” for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.Likud activists in southern Israel, meanwhile, blamed the minister for galvanizing Arab voters, arguing that his conduct had seriously damaged the right-wing bloc's electoral prospects.Local activists from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party said Ben-Gvir's aggressive rhetoric and combative statements had failed to deliver electoral gains for the Right in southern Israel. Instead, they argued, he had spurred tens of thousands of Arab voters to cast their ballots.Election observer describes palpable anger against Ben-GvirRami, a veteran Likud activist who served as an election observer in Rahat, described an atmosphere of anger and tension on the streets and at polling stations.“The anger was palpable everywhere.

Almost every other word out of their mouths was 'Ben-Gvir.' It was simply incomprehensible. Over the years, Likud always managed to win a certain share of the Bedouin vote, but this time we were reduced to almost zero there. He simply sent them rushing out of their homes to vote against us,” they said.Shimon Boker, a member of Likud's central committee, also sharply criticized the