Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has called for people he considers disloyal to the State of Israel to be denied the right to vote. In a statement, he alleged that Qatar-backed groups and Arab political leaders were involved in stealing the recent Knesset election. In a video posted on social media on Friday, three days after the election, Ben Gvir demanded an investigation and called on the Shin Bet to arrest everyone involved, including the heads of Arab parties.“The Shin Bet must arrest all those involved, including the heads of the Arab parties who stole the elections here,” he wrote in the caption accompanying the video.“Today must be clearer than ever: Whoever is not loyal to the State of Israel – it is forbidden to give him the right to vote!” he added.In the video, Ben Gvir said he would continue to act “as strongly as possible” against what he described as election theft. He claimed that videos showed people entering and leaving polling stations multiple times to cast votes more than once.“There is no other name for it. We see it in the videos. People go out, come in, come back twice, vote twice,” he said.Ben Gvir also alleged that Qatar was involved in influencing the election. He referred to what he described as fires at Yad Delek, which he claimed had split into thousands, and a meeting between Arab politician Ahmad Tibi and Qatari representatives days before the election.“We see it in the meeting of Ahmad Tibi in Qatar a few days before the elections. The money is Qatari money,” he alleged.“The hands are in the hands of Ahmad Tibi. Qatar is used to buying states. Qatar is used to taking control of states.”“And apparently Qatar did the same things here in the State of Israel. I demand from Shabbat a quick, effective meeting that reveals the truth,” he said.Opening his address, Ben Gvir said he was speaking from the National Security Office, a few hours before Shabbat and three days after the Knesset election.
