CNN<\/a><\/p>\nLikud has appealed to Israel\u2019s Central Elections Committee, demanding that the \u201cFly and Vote\u201d project be blocked. Its organizers help Israelis abroad find affordable routes and return home on election day.<\/p>\n
The party claims that the initiative is an illegal operation funded from abroad. In Likud\u2019s view, it could seriously affect the integrity of the election. The dispute stems from the narrow margin between political forces, which has repeatedly determined the outcome of elections in Israel.<\/p>\n
Israelis who are outside the country generally cannot vote by mail. This option is available only to diplomats and official representatives. Other citizens must travel to Israel in person or they will be unable to participate in the election. At certain times, as many as 10% of the country\u2019s population is abroad.<\/p>\n
Adi Ayash, an Israeli digital content creator living in Thailand, said he had no doubt that he needed to return for the election.<\/p>\n
As someone who is actively involved in public life and deeply concerned about the reality created by Israel\u2019s current leadership, I feel that this is my duty. Failing to exercise my democratic right because of the cost of a flight or simply for convenience seems to me the ultimate form of hypocrisy.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Adi Ayash<\/p>\n
The October 27 vote will be the first nationwide election after four unstable years under Netanyahu\u2019s coalition, which includes right-wing and ultra-Orthodox forces. This period has been marked by mass protests against judicial reform, the October 7, 2023 attack, and a prolonged war on several fronts.<\/p>\n
Recent polls indicate that neither Netanyahu\u2019s coalition nor the divided opposition has the 61 seats needed to form a government. Likud fears that the return of citizens from abroad could strengthen opposition parties.<\/p>\n
What the \u201cFly and Vote\u201d initiative involves<\/p>\n
The project was launched by the American-Israeli Coalition for Democratic Assistance, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 2023. It says it works to strengthen Israel\u2019s democratic foundations.<\/p>\n
The organizers emphasize that they do not pay for airline tickets directly. Instead, they search for cheaper routes, unconventional flight options, and group fares. Participants are also helped with renewing passports, checking their eligibility to vote, and arranging charter flights if demand is sufficient or regular commercial options are unavailable.<\/p>\n
More than 35,000 Israelis have already registered for the initiative. According to internal surveys, over 50,000 citizens plan to return to the country to vote. Participants pay for their own trips and receive no money or other material benefits from the organization.<\/p>\n
Bat-El Blaish Sultanik, co-founder of \u201cFly and Vote,\u201d called the project an international movement of Israelis who want to influence the future of their country.<\/p>\n
Something much bigger is happening. An international movement is taking shape around the world. This is a national event.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Bat-El Blaish Sultanik<\/p>\n
Sultanik denied that the project was politically affiliated. According to her, the organizers do not ask participants or check whom they plan to vote for.<\/p>\n
We do not ask or check whom they vote for in the voting booth. This is about the right to vote.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Bat-El Blaish Sultanik<\/p>\n
Why Likud wants the project banned<\/p>\n
In its petition, Likud claims that the coalition was created to channel American donations to Israeli protest groups. The party also alleges that the organization is connected to the opposition party Democrats. Representatives of \u201cFly and Vote\u201d and the Democrats deny any affiliation.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu\u2019s party insists that even without directly paying for tickets, priority access to flights and group discounts could be considered a prohibited benefit or voter bribery under Israeli law.<\/p>\n
Likud also points to another coalition project, \u201cFly and Help.\u201d It provides $250 gift cards to people who perform volunteer work in Israel.<\/p>\n
Guy Lurie, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, said the decision would depend on the evidence presented by the parties to the Central Elections Committee.<\/p>\n
Everything depends on the facts and evidence presented to the Central Elections Committee. The key legal question is whether organizing flights without direct funding constitutes a prohibited benefit, and whether Likud will be able to prove that this initiative is an activity of a foreign legal entity.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Guy Lurie<\/p>\n
The Coalition for Democratic Assistance said it was acting within the law and helping all Israelis abroad. The organization believes that Likud is trying to deprive citizens of the right and responsibility to participate in determining the country\u2019s future. These are people who left Israel after October 7, pay taxes, and want to maintain their connection to the state.<\/p>\n
Attempts to block the initiative have instead strengthened the determination of some citizens to return. Josh Drill, who plans to fly from New York as part of the \u201cFly and Vote\u201d group, said that any obstacles only strengthened his resolve to vote.<\/p>\n
Every attempt to obstruct our democratic right to vote only strengthens our determination to get on a plane, cast our ballots, and take part in the election to help shape Israel\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Josh Drill<\/p>\n
Disputes over flights on election day<\/p>\n
Opposition representatives have separately expressed concern that Likud controls the Transportation Ministry and the Airports Authority. They suggested that airport operations could be restricted or flight schedules disrupted on the eve of the election.<\/p>\n
In July, the newspaper Haaretz reported on internal discussions at the ministry about possibly reducing operations on October 27. Afterward, lawmakers and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel called on the Central Elections Committee to guarantee open airspace and uninterrupted flight operations.<\/p>\n
The opposition party Yesh Atid called any possible restriction on travel from abroad a serious violation of freedom of voting. Transportation Minister Miri Regev of Likud dismissed the allegations as \u201ca blatant lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
I have kept the air routes open throughout the war. Does anyone really think I would close the skies on election day? And besides, who said that only people on the left travel abroad and return on election day?<\/p>\n
\u2013 Miri Regev<\/p>\n
Ultra-Orthodox voters traditionally travel to Israel in large numbers, particularly from New York, and this has not previously prompted similar objections. In addition, Likud has supported legislative initiatives in the past that would have allowed citizens to vote from outside the country.<\/p>\n
This time, the political situation has changed. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said that Israelis abroad who want to influence the country\u2019s future should immigrate to Israel rather than come only to try to change the government under the slogan \u201cAnyone but Bibi.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Central Elections Committee\u2019s final decision will determine whether flight arrangements and related discounts can be considered illegal influence on the election. The decision will determine whether tens of thousands of Israelis can return home without hindrance to cast their votes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A growing effort to bring citizens home is turning air travel into a new battleground in Israel\u2019s tightly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":621010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,46,43],"class_list":["post-621009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}