Israel bans cameras at Arab polling stations in next vote

Israel's elections committee has ruled against a plan by the prime minister's party to have cameras at polling stations in Arab communities during parliamentary elections next month. During April's vote, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party deployed activists with cameras at polls in Arab communities. The party said it was combatting voter fraud, but critics said the point was to intimidate and deter minority voters.

Election committee chairman Hanan Melcer said in a statement Monday that inspectors at polling stations would ensure adherence to the filming ban, saying the committee would do everything it could to stop "those who seek to sway the results in their favor outside the democratic rules." Israel faces an unprecedented repeat election after Netanyahu's party failed to form a government after April's elections, then dissolved parliament.