Netanyahu ally says he would prefer Arab Israelis not to vote

A close ally of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday he would prefer Arab Israelis not to vote in parliamentary elections. David Bitan, chairman of Netanyahu's governing coalition and a lawmaker from the premier's Likud party, said it would have been better if Arab Israelis "didn't go to the polls at all", in comments broadcast by Channel 10 television station. "Ninety-five percent of them (Israeli Arab voters) vote for the Joint List, which doesn't represent the Arab Isra