Few Russians in Israel cast ballots, but most who do back Putin
Opposition candidate with Jewish roots comes in second among the 12,000 Israeli Russians who participate in presidential election
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleRaphael Ahren is a former diplomatic correspondent at The Times of Israel.
Eligible Russian voters living in Israel overwhelmingly ignored Sunday’s presidential elections in Russia. Those who did vote plumped largely for President Vladimir Putin, though by a slightly smaller margin than their compatriots did overall.
The vast majority of the 120,000 eligible voters — some 90 percent — did not vote at all. Of those who did, some 72% cast their ballot for the incumbent, compared to the 76% Putin garnered in the general election.
Journalist Ksenia Sobchak, who describes herself as partly Jewish, came in second in Israel, with 1,611 votes, or 13% of the total. This was far higher than her overall showing: the political novice from the center-right Civic Initiative — the first female candidate in 14 years and the youngest candidate to run since 2004 — received less than two percent.
The runner-up, Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin, who overall garnered 11%, came in fourth, getting 660 votes, or 5.5%. In third place was Grigory Yavlinsky of the centrist Yabloko party, with 5.6. In the overall elections, Yavlinsky, who is Jewish, only received 1%.
Some 12,000 Russian citizens living in Israel voted at 14 polling stations across the country — out of 120,000 Israelis who were eligible to vote in the Russian election. This week’s turnout marked the highest voter participation in Israel since 2000. In the 2012 election, some 10,500 ballots were cast in Israel.
Выборы Президента Российской Федерации 2018 проходят в Израиле в 14 городах#ВаженКаждыйГолосRussian Presidential Elections 2018 are underway in 14 cities of #Israel
Posted by Embassy of Russia in Israel / Посольство России в Израиле on Sunday, March 18, 2018
The elections, which were marred by complaints of irregularities, secured Putin a fourth presidential term as Moscow’s relations with the West continue to be tense over allegations of voter meddling and the killing of a Russian ex-double agent last month in the United Kingdom.
“I see in this (result) the confidence and hope of our people,” Putin said in an address to crowds of supporters on a square next to the Kremlin after exit polls put him on track for a resounding victory.
“Our thoughts will turn to the future of our great country and the future of our children,” said the man who is already Russia’s longest-serving leader since Stalin.
AFP contributed to this report.
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