A poster featuring candidates from the United Arab List is hung in front of a polling station as part of the general election in Nazareth, Israel on October 27, 2026. [Adri Salido – Anadolu Agency]
An Israeli magistrates’ court in Beersheba on Sunday ordered the release of two activists from the United Arab List (Ra’am), who were arrested as part of an investigation into alleged election bribery, while ordering a third suspect to remain in detention until Tuesday.
According to Israeli news website Ynet, affiliated with Yedioth Ahronoth, the court rejected a police request to place doctor Siyaaf Abu Rayash, 38, under house arrest for seven days. It also criticised the request to bar him from using the internet, which he relies on for his work.
The website reported that the judge criticised the investigation for making no progress and said police had failed to provide sufficient justification for house arrest. The court also ordered the release of a second suspect under restrictive conditions, while the third suspect was remanded in custody until Tuesday, 3 November.
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The three activists were arrested in the early hours of election day last Tuesday on suspicion of planning to buy votes in favour of Ra’am.
The Times of Israel, citing Hebrew media reports, said the arrests followed information provided by Idо Norden, head of staff at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. It also reported that police acknowledged searching the activists’ homes without a judicial warrant.
The United Arab List denied the allegations against its activists.
The Times of Israel previously quoted a police official as saying that the alleged bribery case was separate from the Shin Bet investigation into suspected foreign interference in the election.
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