Battle for votes: Likud tries to stop controversial initiative

The Likud party has appealed to the Central Elections Committee to halt the activities of the Fly & Vote initiative, which helps Israelis abroad return to vote in the October 27 elections. The project, created by the American-Israeli Coalition for Democracy, has already registered about 35,000 people. Likud claims the initiative may violate election financing laws.

A political dispute has erupted in Israel over the Fly & Vote initiative, which helps tens of thousands of Israelis abroad return home to vote in the parliamentary elections on October 27. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has appealed to the Central Elections Committee to stop the project's activities. Likud's attorney Ilan Bombach sent an appeal to committee chairman Judge Noam Solberg, arguing that the project may violate election financing laws and provide voters with advantages through collectively agreed flight tariffs. The project was created by the American-Israeli Coalition for Democracy. The organization states it does not pay for tickets or campaign for any party, but only uses technology to find cheap flights and organizes charters. Organizers say about 35,000 people have registered. Coalition co-founder Jonathan Barsada estimates the number of Israelis abroad with voting rights at 800,000 to 1 million, about half of whom live in the US. Transport Minister Miri Regev denied claims of intent to prevent voters from arriving, stating the airspace will remain open. The dispute concerns not the right to vote itself, but the permissibility of organized assistance with return. The Knesset elections are set for October 27, the first parliamentary elections since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.