Tibi shouts at poll workers; Feiglin: "Fly out of here"

A dramatic video that spread rapidly on social media during election day sparked a sharp political storm. The footage, published by journalist Yinon Magal among others, shows Ta'al chairman MK Ahmad Tibi confronting election officials at a polling station in Tira, shouting at them aggressively and repeatedly yelling "Sit down, sit down!"

The video drew a wave of angry responses in the political system, particularly from the right-wing camp, where Tibi's conduct was described as "a crude display of power and humiliation of state employees and Jewish officials."

In a swift and sharp response, Zehut party chairman Moshe Feiglin published a video with a frontal attack on Tibi. "I saw the video of Ahmad Tibi shouting inside the polling station. We've known him for years, he knows very well what he's doing," Feiglin said. "What he wanted was to put out a video in which he humiliates Jews in official positions and presents himself as if he's the landlord."

Feiglin continued with a direct and sharp attack: "So Ahmad, you're not the landlord, because this is not your home. Israel is the land of the Jews alone. A national home will never be here for you. The national home in Israel belongs to the people of Israel alone. And if that doesn't sit well with you, you're welcome to return to the place your family came from, Syria, right? If it's not good for you, get out of here."

In an additional video, Feiglin sharpened the message and clarified: "A polling committee is not a stage for your power display. Public office is not a license to shout, humiliate or terrorize. At the polls, decisions are made with ballots, not with shouting."

Tibi at the polling station (Photo: Hot News | circulated on social media)

The dramatic incident in Tira occurred against the backdrop of reports of high voter turnout in the Arab sector on election day. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued an emergency call to Likud voters, warning: "They're trying to steal the elections from us. The police announced something serious and unusual. Three of Ra'am's top financiers were caught with envelopes of cash in the south."

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri also issued an emergency call and warned of high turnout in left-wing strongholds and the Arab sector. "I am very worried about the apathy in chareidi and right-wing strongholds," Deri said. "The high turnout in left-wing strongholds and the Arab sector is very worrying."

A chareidi official told Kikar Hashabat that "this is not a gevalt campaign, we are really at a low point, percentages we haven't seen, and this while in other sectors the numbers are rising sharply." However, turnout data as of 12:30 showed a voting rate of approximately 35% in the chareidi sector, compared to 31.5% nationally.

Meanwhile, an extensive field tour conducted by Moshe Arye, head of Kikar Hashabat's Arab affairs desk, in eastern Yerushalayim revealed sharp statements from residents. "Just not Bibi, just not Bibi! We want Eisenkot," were calls heard in the field. One interviewee told the Kikar Hashabat camera: "I'm voting for Ahmad Tibi, it's our honor that he was with Arafat."