With Israel's election approaching, tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are booking flights home to cast their ballots. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is trying to block some of them from voting by filing a petition with Israel's Central Elections Committee. The petition accuses the "Fly & Vote" initiative, a grassroots effort helping Israeli expatriates return home, of being an illegal, foreign-funded operation that could harm the election's integrity.
The "Fly & Vote" initiative, launched by the US-based America-Israel Democracy AID Coalition, helps Israelis abroad find affordable flights and organize charter flights to return home for the election. The group says over 35,000 Israelis have registered, and internal surveys suggest over 50,000 intend to return to vote. Adi Ayash, an Israeli digital content creator living in Thailand, said he feels it's his duty to return and vote, adding that not exercising his democratic right would be "extreme hypocrisy."
Likud's petition claims the AID coalition is a political body created to channel American donations to Israeli protest groups and is tied to the opposition Democrats party. However, the group and the party deny any affiliation. The Likud party argues that even if participants pay for their own tickets, priority flight access and group discount rates are prohibited benefits that amount to election bribery under Israeli law.
The outcome of the Likud petition hinges on evidence, according to Guy Lurie, a research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. The central legal question is whether organizing flights without directly funding amounts to a prohibited benefit and whether Likud can substantiate its claims that the initiative amounts to foreign legal activity. The AID coalition insists it operates within the law and serves all Israelis abroad.
Opposition figures have raised concerns about Likud's control over the Transportation Ministry and the Airport Authority, floating scenarios in which flight slots are restricted or disrupted around election day. A July report suggested internal ministry discussions about scaling back activities on October 27, prompting lawmakers and the Israeli Association for Civil Rights to ask the Central Election Committee to guarantee the skies remain open and flights continue uninterrupted.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev, from Likud, dismissed the report as a "gross lie," saying she kept the skies open throughout the war and would not close them on election day. Notably, ultra-Orthodox voters have traditionally flown home en masse without similar objections, and the Likud has previously promoted legislation to enable external voting from abroad.
The election on October 27 will be the first national election after four turbulent years under Netanyahu's right-wing, ultra-Orthodox coalition. According to the latest polls, both Netanyahu's coalition and his deeply fragmented opposition are falling short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government. The "Fly & Vote" initiative has become a national event, with Israelis understanding their vote is important, according to Batell Blaish Sultanik, co-founder of the initiative.
Key points
- Likud's petition to block 'Fly & Vote' initiative could impact the outcome of the election
- Israelis abroad face hurdles voting in the upcoming election due to logistical and financial challenges
- The Central Elections Committee will review the petition and determine whether to allow the 'Fly & Vote' initiative to proceed
