In any case, I'll be arriving at Umm al-Fahm.
Baruch Marzel will chair an Umm el-Fahm polling station in spite of municipality objections. The official decision, which is final, to appoint Marzel to chair the Alarazi district booth in the Arab town was signed Thursday afternoon by Judge Avihu Gufman of the regional elections committee.
Umm el-Fahm's municipality has threatened to block all entrances to the Arab town on Election Day to prevent pro-Land of Israel activist Baruch Marzel from entering their community.
In response to anticipated election tampering and irregularities in Arab towns, the Ichud Leumi (National Union) party has appointed pro-Land of Israel activist Baruch Marzel as an Election Day observer in Umm el-Fahm. However, the local government says that it won’t allow him to enter the town.
"We will block all the entrances to the town and the police will bear the full responsibility for what goes on that day," Raja Agbaria of the Village Sons movement stated after a unanimous City Hall vote to block Marzel from arriving.
In spite of the municipality’s decision, Marzel told Ynet that he would demand his rights to supervise the polls in the Arab town, in spite of objections.
"If needed I won't arrive alone, but rather, with other National Union activists," Marzel said. "I think this is an important test for the rule of law and I expect to see the police's response…whether we are a law-abiding State, or alternately, will fold in the face of a mob of thugs. In any case, I'll be arriving at Umm el-Fahm."
By law, every party running for Knesset receives the right to chair a certain number of polling stations across the country, based on its size. The Ichud HaLeumi (National Union) has the right to chair 160 stations – 40 for each of its four factions: Moledet, Tekumah, HaTikvah, and the Land of Israel. The Central Elections Committee randomly allocates the polling stations to the parties - and the Umm el-Fahm station fell into Ichud Leumi's lap.
Marzel, who earlier planned a pro-Land of Israel rally in Umm el-Fahm that has been postponed by the police, was appointed by the Central Elections Committee to open one of the town’s polling stations at 7 a.m. and close it at 10 pm in his role as Election Committee chairman. After the ballots are counted, he will take the ballot box to Umm el-Fahm’s City Hall.
"We shall urge all city residents to hit the streets and not allow him to enter," Agbaria said. "Marzel is trying to get smart with us. They didn't allow him to come through the door, so he wishes to enter through the window. We will not allow him to realize his desires using by resorting to tricks."
Umm el-Fahm’s municipality said it will also send a letter to police and to the Central Elections Committee to articulate the objections over Marzel’s intended arrival.
Marzel was sent to a rushed Central Elections Committee course on Sunday to learn voting procedures and how to prevent voting fraud.
“We have to maintain law and order in Umm el-Fahm, just like in any other city in Israel,” Marzel told Israel National News. “If the National Union gets a lot of votes there, someone has to be there to make sure that they don’t get lost. In any event, we will go there ‘without any fear at all’ [in accordance with the party’s motto]. If there is democracy in Israel, then there is no choice but to apply it and maintain it everywhere. We are a party that doesn’t just talk about saving the Land of Israel, but also takes action against our enemies.”