Amnesty UK decries Israeli polls as 'apartheid at the ballot box'
15:50, 27/10/2026, TuesdayU: Update: 15:52, 27/10/2026, Tuesday
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Amnesty International UK has denounced Israel's parliamentary elections as 'apartheid at the ballot box,' saying millions of Palestinians under occupation are denied voting rights while settlers on their land can participate, and urging London to impose an arms embargo regardless of the outcome.
Amnesty slams 'apartheid' polls
Amnesty International UK on Tuesday denounced Israel's parliamentary elections as "apartheid at the ballot box," saying millions of Palestinians living under occupation are being denied the right to vote while Israeli settlers residing on Palestinian land can cast ballots. Kristyan Benedict, the rights group's crisis response manager, said in a statement that the electoral process underscores systemic discrimination.
"As polls opened, Palestinians in Hebron are locked down in their own (West Bank) city, with thousands forced from their homes. In Gaza, more than 1,500 people have been killed since the so-called ceasefire began," Benedict said, referring to the truce reached in October 2025. He noted that the voting rights disparity highlights ongoing violations of international humanitarian law.
Calls for UK arms embargo
Benedict said the British government must take concrete action regardless of who wins the vote. "No election result will change what the UK government must do," he stated. "It must end all arms transfers to Israel, sanction the Israeli officials most implicated in international crimes, and demand unfettered humanitarian access and an end to the unlawful blockade of Gaza," he added.
He further urged London to support international judicial mechanisms and sever all ties with what he termed Israel's unlawful occupation. "It must support the International Criminal Court, implement the International Court of Justice's rulings in full, and cut every UK link to Israel's unlawful occupation, system of apartheid and genocide of Palestinians – whether through trade, investment, finance, cooperation or assistance," Benedict said.
Netanyahu faces Eisenkot
Voting began Tuesday in Israel's parliamentary elections, with more than 7.3 million people eligible to cast ballots to elect the 120-member Knesset. Polling stations opened at 7 am local time and are scheduled to close at 10 pm, according to Israel's Central Elections Committee. The elections have been marked by intense competition between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition and the opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot.
