Echoing Trump, Israeli Leader Pushes for Election Cameras
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 11:31 am
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, gestures as he speaks during a ceremony near Hebron's holiest site, known to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs and to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, Sept. 4, 2019.
JERUSALEM - Taking another page out of President Donald Trump's playbook, Israel's prime minister is trying to pass a law requiring video cameras at Israeli polling stations ahead of next week's vote — an effort that's drawing charges of racism and incitement.
The 11th hour move, allegedly meant to prevent fraud in Arab voting stations, could have a tough time passing parliament on such short notice.
It's nonetheless become an effective campaign tool for embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to galvanize his supporters. During April's vote, Netanyahu's Likud party deployed activists with cameras at polls in Arab communities.
Critics accuse him of diverting attention from a flawed campaign, undermining the country's democratic institutions and potentially setting the stage for a Trump-like rejection of the results if he loses.