57 days to elections: "Record demand" for special flights for Israelis from abroad
The organization for bringing Israelis from abroad to the polling stations is expanding — and comes after similar initiatives already sparked political criticism.
The Fly&Vote project offers special flights to Israel for Israelis living abroad who wish to arrive to vote in the elections. Some of the flights will depart from New York, and an additional flight will take off from Lisbon following the cancellation of flights to Israel. The project reports high demand ahead of the elections, which will be held in 57 days. The organization comes after the Likud party already expressed concern over other initiatives intended to help Israelis from abroad arrive and vote. About a month ago, the Likud legal advisor demanded to examine initiatives that offered free hosting and transportation for voters from abroad, claiming that it is a new and serious phenomenon.
57 days to the elections, the Fly&Vote project of the AID Coalition organization is preparing to operate seven special flights to Israel for Israelis living abroad who wish to arrive in the country to vote. Six of the flights will depart from New York and an additional flight from Lisbon, and the project reports record demand ahead of the elections.
The special flight from Lisbon was opened following the announcement by the airline TAP regarding the cancellation of its flights to Israel. The cancellations affected Israelis living abroad who planned to arrive in Israel using the company at the end of October. Consequently, an alternative from Lisbon was opened for them at a cost of 580 dollars per ticket.
The project allocated seats on six flights from New York to Israel at a price of 1,800 dollars per ticket.
"We are creating solutions for problems that arise for Israelis who wish to exercise their democratic right and arrive in Israel to vote in the elections," stated Yonatan Bar-Sadeh, president of the AID Coalition. "Even the cancellation of flights will not stop the project and our mission, to turn every Israeli into an Israeli voice."
Israelis returning to the country — just to cast a ballot
The move comes against the backdrop of the concern expressed by the Likud regarding initiatives intended to help Israelis living abroad arrive in the country and vote. About a month ago, the Likud legal advisor, attorney Ilan Bombach, appealed to the Central Elections Committee with a demand to examine initiatives that offered free hosting and transportation for voters arriving from abroad. According to him, this is a new and serious phenomenon of soliciting the arrival of voters to the country for the purpose of voting.
The Likud's appeal dealt, among other things, with an initiative in which it was offered to Israelis arriving from abroad to stay for free in homes in Israel. According to the publications attached to the appeal submitted to the committee, hundreds of people offered their homes to voters. Bombach claimed that it must be examined whether free hosting and transportation constitute a benefit that might influence the exercise of the right to vote.
The Central Elections Committee did not express a position at the time on the merits of the claims, but clarified that an attempt to influence voting through bribery, prohibited gifts, and benefits — impairs the integrity of the elections and contradicts the fundamental principle of the freedom of elections. It further noted that if a suspicion of committing a criminal offense arises, one can appeal to the competent authorities.
