No evidence of high Arab turnout

According to Ynet and Channel 2, there is no indication that turnout in Arab communities is significantly higher than in past elections.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement earlier Tuesday warning right-wing voters that Arab turnout was very high.

“We’re worried about high turnout in the Arab sector,” a Likud campaign statement said. “Arab voters are heading en masse to the voting booth,” it warned.

The statement drew condemnation from the left and center, with accusations of racism behind the warning of Arab turnout.

On Tuesday afternoon, Netanyahu’s campaign issued a clarification. “What’s illegitimate is not Arabs voting as such, but the huge funds from overseas from leftist NGOs and foreign governments bringing them en masse to the polling stations in an organized fashion — and thus warping the actual wishes of the electorate of Israel’s citizens writ large in favor of the left.”