Activists within Israel’s Likud party in the South have attributed a surge in Arab voter turnout during recent elections to the actions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, suggesting his approach lowered support for the right-wing bloc. They argue Ben-Gvir’s confrontational rhetoric and hardline policies alienated Arab communities, inadvertently boosting turnout for Arab parties.

According to local Likud activists, Ben-Gvir’s combative style failed to generate electoral gains for the national camp, instead mobilizing tens of thousands of Arab voters. Rami, a seasoned Likud election observer in Rahat, the largest Bedouin city in the Negev, described an atmosphere charged with anger and tension surrounding the elections. He noted that while Likud historically performed well among Bedouin voters, this time it lost nearly all ground, attributing the shift directly to Ben-Gvir’s controversial behavior.

Shimon Boker, a Likud central committee member, criticized Ben-Gvir for causing damage to the right-wing alliance. He said that although issues such as agricultural crime and illegal construction need firm action, the minister’s provocative statements and media presence were counterproductive and stirred Arab voters into action. “He provoked them relentlessly, and the result was that they flocked to the polls in protest,” Boker stated.

In Rahat, local efforts to maximize Arab voter turnout appeared highly effective, with voter participation reaching nearly 80%, a significant increase from 60.6% in the previous election cycle. Residents coordinated transportation to polling stations, and Arab party campaign offices celebrated the heightened turnout as a direct rebuke to Ben-Gvir’s policies.

Rahat Mayor Talal al-Krenawi set a turnout goal of 75%, aiming to convert the area's 150,000-strong electorate into four Knesset seats. He framed the results as a message to Ben-Gvir, saying, “We showed our strength... He wanted to show us who was in charge in Rahat. Now we have shown him.” Residents expressed that their opposition was not to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has previously secured votes in the Negev, but rather to Ben-Gvir’s demolition policies and confrontational rhetoric that they said fractured community life.

Supporters of Ben-Gvir rejected the blame, instead pointing to Likud’s dominance for drawing voters away from their faction. Roy, an activist affiliated with Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, said many outlying community residents intended to vote for Ben-Gvir but ultimately returned to Likud, citing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s robust campaign efforts. Roy also contended that law enforcement and combating illegal construction are necessary priorities, rejecting the notion that these should be disregarded for political reasons.

Among the Bedouin population, voices described the increased turnout as a reaction to what they perceived as marginalization and intimidation by Ben-Gvir’s policies. Raed Abu al-Qi’an, a resident of Hura, said the high voter participation stemmed from feelings of being cornered by the minister’s focus on home demolitions without accompanying solutions or alternatives. He criticized Ben-Gvir for prioritizing political campaigning over addressing ongoing crime and essential services such as healthcare and infrastructure, characterizing the ballot box response as a civic uprising against these conditions.