Municipal elections in the southern communities were postponed from February to the upcoming November due to the war in Gaza. Now, relatives of hostages who have been held captive by Hamas for 347 days were amazed to discover that the names of their loved ones were removed from the voter registry ahead of the elections. Essentially, they say, the Interior Ministry has decided the hostages have no right to vote.
1 View gallery
Keith Siegel, Emily Damari, Tsahi Idan, Omri Miran, Doron Steinbrecher, and the twins Gali and Ziv Berman
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel stated that, due to the continuation of the war, the elections in eight regional councils, including the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council and the city of Sderot which were postponed from February this year will be held in November.
Seven of the hostages from Kfar Aza and Nahal Oz who were abducted on October 7 to Gaza and have been held captive by Hamas ever since have now had their voter registration revoked. The seven hostages who currently will not be able to vote are Keith Siegel, Emily Damari, Tsahi Idan, Omri Miran, Doron Steinbrecher, and twins Gali and Ziv Berman.
Yossi Keren, acting mayor of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, addressed the Interior Ministry on Tuesday. "I was shocked to discover that the names of the hostages who are the residents of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council were omitted from the voter registry for the upcoming local elections. It is unthinkable and I will not accept that the State of Israel disregards these seven residents, fathers, sons, and daughters who were kidnapped from their beds on October 7, as citizens with equal rights in a democratic country."
Keren further stated in his letter: "Our hostages are alive and they can be saved, and I will not allow them to be treated differently. I demand the Interior Ministry and all those involved in the local elections to correct this mistake immediately and return Keith, Emily, Tsahi, Omri, Doron, Gali, Ziv, and the rest of the hostages to the voter registry."