President Shimon Peres
Photo: Reuters
Peres urges Israelis to vote
For the sake of security, economy, democracy, President Shimon Peres urges citizens to fulfill civil duty and cast their vote in Tuesday's elections, saying it's particularly important now, since 'there are those trying to taint State's democratic image'
Less than 24 hours before ballot boxes open across the county, President Shimon Peres urged voters to fulfill their democratic right, and obligation to go and vote.
On a visit to Beit Shemesh on Monday, the president said, "Voting tomorrow is doubly meaningful and important, and is set not only in the right to elect the people that will head the State and be responsible for its future, but first and foremost in every citizen's duty to vote for their country, the only real democracy in the Middle East."
Peres continued to stress the importance of voting: "These days there are those that are trying to taint the State of Israel's image, but we are a democratic country in the full sense of the word and elections tomorrow will be the statement of all the citizens, which will prove that democracy is deeply rooted and far-reaching in Israel. We must express this position by going to vote at the ballot boxes."
The president urged citizens to vote, saying, "I call on the public to take part in the elections, this time they are especially important because of the diplomatic-security, economic and social steps Israel is taking.
"All citizens should vote and fulfill their true duty to the State we love and wish to have its character preserved as free, democratic, and peace seeking."
Peres himself will be arriving at the polling station in a Jerusalem arts school to cast his vote Tuesday.
In recent years voter turnout in Israel has seen a significant drop. In the 2006 elections only 63.5% of eligible voters fulfilled their civil right. The prior elections in 2003 had a 67.8% voter turnout, compared to the years 1999 and 1996 with close to an 80% turnout.
