Israeli gov’t fears bid to fly in expats en masse could tilt election in left’s favor

The ruling Likud party threatens legal action against organizers of initiative aimed at flying Israelis living abroad back for election day, amid concerns the “fly and vote” operation could skew the vote.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s ruling Likud party has threatened legal action against an initiative aimed at bringing Israeli expatriates living abroad back to Israel to vote in the October 27 election, accusing the group behind the effort of potentially violating election and campaign finance laws.

Likud sent a warning letter Sunday to AID Coalition, the US-based nonprofit operating the Fly&Vote initiative, demanding information about the project and threatening to petition the Central Elections Committee if its concerns are not addressed.

Fly&Vote is seeking to help potentially tens of thousands of Israeli citizens overseas navigate voter eligibility requirements and arrange transportation to Israel ahead of the election.

Unlike citizens of many countries, Israelis generally cannot vote from abroad and must physically return to Israel to cast a ballot.

Limited exceptions exist for diplomats and certain Israeli officials and emissaries stationed overseas.

The initiative has attracted particular attention this year following a sharp increase in the number of Israelis living abroad and expectations that an unusually large number could return specifically to vote.

More than 25,000 people had registered with Fly&Vote by July, with organizers at the time saying they hoped to assist as many as 50,000.

More recent reports have put registrations above 30,000 and the project’s eventual target as high as 70,000.

Likud’s warning letter, sent through attorney Ilan Bombach, argues that the initiative may be providing benefits to voters in violation of laws against election bribery and prohibited political contributions.

The party also alleges that organizations involved with the project possess information identifying voters and their political preferences and claims that some activity associated with the initiative is designed to discourage voters from supporting Likud.

Likud demanded that the organizations provide documents and data concerning their activities within five days and halt activities the party considers potentially unlawful.

It threatened to petition Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg and pursue additional legal proceedings if its demands are not met.

AID Coalition strongly rejects the accusations and insists that Fly&Vote operates without regard to how participants intend to cast their ballots.

“We do not check political preferences,” the organization said.

It has also said that it “does not endorse any candidate or party.”

The organization disputes claims that it is paying Israelis to fly home.

According to its description of the program and previous statements by its organizers, Fly&Vote helps participants determine whether they are eligible to vote, assists with bureaucratic issues and helps locate available commercial or charter flights, but passengers remain responsible for their travel costs.

“We’re not creating voters; we’re removing logistical and informational barriers,” AID Coalition executive director Batell Blaish-Sultanik said last month.

The project has explored chartering aircraft from locations with large concentrations of Israelis, particularly if ordinary commercial capacity proves insufficient.

Organizers have also considered contingency arrangements involving alternative airports if security conditions disrupt flights to Ben Gurion Airport.

“If we can’t bring the election to them,” Blaish-Sultanik said, “we’ll bring them to the election.”

The legal confrontation comes amid an increasingly bitter political dispute over Israelis living abroad and their potential impact on the election.

Israeli expatriates have always been permitted to return and vote as long as they remain eligible and are properly registered, but researchers say this year’s potential mobilization is unusual in scale.

Recent Israeli emigrants are disproportionately young, educated and secular — characteristics generally associated with stronger support for centrist and left-wing parties.

Likud has accused groups organizing overseas Israelis of creating externally funded operations intended to influence the election outside normal campaign finance restrictions.

“We’re talking about a system of millions of dollars, most of which is coming from abroad,” a Likud spokesperson said recently, describing the initiatives as outside “campaign finance laws.”

The dispute over Fly&Vote is not the first election-related confrontation involving Israelis overseas.

Likud previously asked election authorities to examine an initiative under which Israelis offered free accommodation to citizens returning from abroad to vote, arguing that free lodging could constitute an impermissible benefit.