Israeli police found hundreds of hidden cameras, installed by activists for Netanyahu’s party, in a number of polling stations throughout Arab-majority towns and cities, including Nazareth and Tamra, as Israeli legislative elections commenced on Tuesday.
Hebrew-language news outlets reported that Israeli police deployed to polling stations found and confiscated 1,300 hidden cameras being used by election observers from the Likud political party in Arab-majority areas such as Sakhnin, Majd al-Krum, Nazareth, Tamra, and Jiser al-Zarqa.
Live updates: Israel Police confiscate hidden cameras installed by right-wing activists in Arab polling stations https://t.co/ACZ6xUESrM
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) April 9, 2019
The Likud election observers were allowed to continue working at the polling stations.
According to Israeli police sources, filming at the entrance to election polling stations “does not constitute as a felony unless cameras are installed behind the privacy divider.”
However, the cameras were reportedly not hidden behind the divider.
More videos flowing in. @moran_ynet reports activists for @netanyahu’s Likud party installed about 1,300 hidden cameras in Arab polling stations pic.twitter.com/Skf1gl8EqX
— Noa Landau נעה לנדאו (@noa_landau) April 9, 2019
Sources confirmed that Supreme Court Justice Hanan Melcer, chair of the Central Elections Committee (CEC), is currently examining the legality of Likud’s apparent planting of hundreds of hidden cameras among its polling station observers in Arab-majority areas.
Sources added that if it turns out the cameras constitute an “illegal disruption” of the electoral process, Israeli police are ready to act according to Melcer’s instructions.
(Ma’an, PC, Social Media)
