Hanan Melcer
Hanan MelcerFlash 90

MKs of the Hadash-Ta'al and the Balad-United Arab List parties attacked Judge Hanan Melcer, chairman of the Central Elections Committee, on Sunday for asking the Attorney General to open a criminal investigation into alleged election fraud at polls in Arab communities.

"At a time when the Central Elections Committee should be demanding an exhaustive investigation of the illegal placement of cameras at the polls, Melcer chose to align with the inciteful camera project and rely on material collected while undermining the integrity of the elections," the Arab Knesset members said.

"It's unthinkable that the chairman of the Central Elections Committee will adopt a biased and unfounded report by Likud representatives without examining the committee itself and transferring it to a police investigation," the MKs added. "The placing of hidden cameras in polling stations in Arab communities is just another element of the ruling party's attack against the essence of Arab citizenship in the state of Israel. But the fact that the chairman of the election committee is supporting them is a new crossing of the bar of the rift between the Arab public and the state of Israel."

Members of Hadash-Ta'al and the Balad-United Arab List claimed that "the Likud marked the goal - the lowering of the percentage of Arab voters - and the chairman of the Central Elections Committee is helping them while seriously harming the public's trust. We are the ones who demanded that the cameras and the material that was filmed be collected immediately, and we reiterate our demand that an investigation be opened against what has already been clearly proven - violation of the election law and infringement of freedom."

The chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Hanan Melcer, appealed to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Acting Police Commissioner Moti Cohen to open a criminal investigation into election ballot forgery, especially in the Arab sector.

"In view of my decision to stop the use of hidden cameras in the polling stations, it is appropriate that the police gather all the material and examine it with the guidance of the State Prosecutor's Office," wrote Melcer. "Most of the events and reports seem to justify the opening of criminal investigations."

"At the ballot box in Kasra-Samia, it's recorded that over 97% of the registered voters actually voted and all the voting results were rounded numbers," Melcer explained. "The exceptional voter turnout combined with the rounded and precise numbers is puzzling and requires investigation."

In another example, voting cards from Afula were presented. "In an in-depth examination, it was found that the registration in the minutes of the Ballot Committee didn't match the official list of votes and even the ballots, which requires an investigation into whether the members of the Ballot Committee acted contrary to instructions," Melcer concluded.